New Delhi: Setting the stage for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in December, Denis Alipov, Russia’s Ambassador to India, has signalled that it would be a major milestone for the bilateral relationship, particularly in defence and strategic sectors.
Speaking at ThePrint’s Off The Cuff at The Quorum Club in Gurugram Tuesday, Alipov highlighted the historic defence collaboration between the two nations, describing it as “very robust” and grounded in mutual respect.
“We have a very robust defence relationship with very bright perspectives,” he said.
The ambassador added that sensitive defence negotiations are ongoing, without divulging specifics.
“We are in discussions on platforms like the Su-57 and many other defence systems,” he said. “Some negotiations will materialise, others will continue, but overall, President Putin’s visit will be a major event, similar in significance to last year’s visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Russia.”
Impressed by the performance of its S-400 Triumf air defence systems, India is exploring the acquisition of additional long-range platforms—including the advanced S-500 from Russia—to further strengthen its air defence network.
The Indian Air Force had shown interest in the S-400 as early as 2018, when New Delhi signed a $5.43 billion deal for five units, which included a follow-on clause for five more.
Russia has assured India that the remaining S-400 systems from the original order will be delivered by September next year, though progress may depend on developments in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has called the S-400 a “game changer” during Operation Sindoor.
Meanwhile, top officials from the Indian and Russian militaries also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence ties, exploring new avenues for collaboration and knowledge-sharing at the 5th Meeting of the Working Group on Military Cooperation under the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) in Delhi Wednesday.
The meeting was co-chaired by Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Lt-Gen Dylevsky Igor Nikolayevich, Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, the Defence Ministry said.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to elevating India-Russia defence cooperation, paving the way for focused engagements, enhanced training exchanges, and new initiatives under the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) said in a post on X.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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