New Delhi: Amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, two Russian Navy destroyers from its Pacific Fleet have reached the Bay of Bengal where they are undergoing a joint exercise with the Indian Navy.
The exercise with Russia came at a time when the Indian Army was engaged in a joint exercise, Vajra Prahar, at Umroi in Meghalaya with the US Army Special Forces.
“The purpose of the exercise is to comprehensively develop and strengthen naval cooperation between Russia and India,” the Russian Ministry of Defence announced Tuesday.
The exercise will help the two navies to jointly counter global threats and ensure the safety of civilian shipping in the Asia-Pacific region, it added.
India has, however, not released an official statement with regard to the exercise. As per the Russian defence ministry, the exercise will last until Wednesday.
The exercise involved ships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet, including the Admiral Tributs anti-submarine destroyer.
In November second week, Russia had undertaken its first-ever joint naval exercise with Myanmar, Myanmar-Russia Maritime Security Exercise (MARUMEX), deepening security cooperation involving both ships and aircraft.
Both the countries are facing sanctions from the international community at present, owing to the Junta takeover in Myanmar and Russia’s war on Ukraine. Their two forces held air combat and live-fire drills in the Andaman Sea, to the south of Yangon.
India-Russia naval exercises
In 2021, the navies of the two countries concluded the 12th edition of the biennial exercise Indra Navy in the Baltic Sea. Last year in September, Russia held annual military exercises in the eastern region with 13 countries, including India and China.
However, India only sent its army contingent of the 7/8 Gorkha Rifles, and did not take part in the maritime section of the two-part event.
At the time, the US criticised the exercise with White House Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying the US has “concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages an unprovoked, brutal war against Ukraine.”
Indian Army in exercise with the US
At the moment, the Indian Army is engaged in a joint exercise, Vajra Prahar, at Umroi in Meghalaya with the US Army. The 14th edition of the Indo-US joint special forces, which commenced 21 November, in which the American contingent is represented by the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) of US Special Force. The India contingent is led by Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: Australia terms China a ‘security anxiety’ while India seeks deeper defence ties at 2+2 dialogue