Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Russia reaffirmed its commitment to deepen defence cooperation with India, with its Ambassador Denis Alipov expressing his country’s readiness to support India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme through the “local production” of the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet.
Speaking at an event on Thursday (October 16, 2025), Mr. Alipov said the move underscores the long-standing strategic partnership between the two nations, which has evolved far beyond a traditional buyer-seller relationship into one of joint development, co-production, and full technology sharing.
The announcement comes amid growing speculation about the future of the India-Russia oil trade, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that India would soon halt such purchases.
However, the Ambassador said that “Russian energy remains the most cost-effective option on the global market”. He said that “Russia has consistently honoured its commitments while showing flexibility in developing alternative logistics and payment systems in the face of attempts to disrupt this cooperation.”
On the defence ties with India, he said: “For over six decades, Russia has been a trusted defence partner and a key contributor to India’s military modernisation, with nearly 70% of India’s defence equipment of Russian origin, and a testament to its effectiveness has (been) demonstrated by Operation Sindoor. The partnership has produced several landmark achievements, most notably the joint production of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is now being upgraded to a hypersonic version.”
Mr. Alipov said that both sides are exploring collaborations in next-generation technologies, including anti-drone systems, advanced radar solutions, and precision strike capabilities.
“The cooperation between India and Russia is unique because it is rooted in battlefield experience that Russia willingly shares with its Indian partners. The same applies to our joint tri-lateral exercises like Indra that recently concluded in Rajasthan’s, and as well as our participation in multilateral naval exercises such as Milan and the SCO anti-terrorist drills peace mission,” he said.
Published – October 16, 2025 10:42 pm IST
