Moscow: Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth held bilateral talks with senior Russian military commanders in Moscow on September 17, as part of his three-day official visit aimed at strengthening India-Russia military cooperation and sustaining the longstanding defence partnership between the two countries.
General Seth held discussions with Colonel General Andrei Nikolayevich Mordvichev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces, on issues of mutual interest, including professional military cooperation and training. The engagement provides a high-level channel for the two armies to review existing cooperation and explore areas for further interaction.
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The Army Chief's visit also includes engagement with senior officials of the Russian Defence Ministry and institutions involved in defence management. He is scheduled to visit Russia's National Defence Control Centre and meet Deputy Defence Minister Vasily Osmakov, who is responsible for defence industry and procurement, bringing an important defence-industrial dimension to the visit.
The discussions come at a time when India is seeking to maintain the operational availability of its large inventory of Russian-origin military platforms, while simultaneously increasing indigenous production, localisation and diversification of defence supply chains.
For the Indian Army, Russian-origin systems remain significant across several capability areas. Ensuring reliable spares, maintenance, ammunition support, upgrades and technical assistance is therefore an important element of continued military-to-military engagement.
The visit also focuses on military training and professional exchanges. General Seth is scheduled to travel to St Petersburg and visit the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy, highlighting the continuing role of institutional and professional military cooperation between the two countries.
The timing carries additional strategic significance following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's September 11 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi, where defence was among the major areas discussed alongside energy, trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation and other strategic issues.
India-Russia defence cooperation has also been evolving from a traditional buyer-seller relationship towards joint production, technology cooperation and localisation. Projects such as BrahMos and the Indo-Russian Rifles joint venture have demonstrated the potential for manufacturing-oriented partnerships, while India has increasingly sought greater domestic value addition in its Russian-origin defence ecosystem.
At the same time, New Delhi's defence policy is expanding partnerships with the United States, France, Israel, Japan and other countries while strengthening indigenous programmes. This means the India-Russia relationship is increasingly being shaped not only by new acquisitions but also by sustainment, technology, industrial cooperation and operational interoperability.
General Seth's Moscow engagement therefore provides an important military channel for maintaining continuity in the India-Russia defence relationship while adapting it to India's changing procurement priorities and growing emphasis on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and domestic defence manufacturing.
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