Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar shake hands during their meeting at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow, Monday, Aug. 24, 2026.
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Gasoline consumption in Russia is at least 1,10,000 tons per day in summer, ‌when demand for fuel is high. File.
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The delivery is part of a $5.43 billion agreement signed between India and Russia in 2018 for the acquisition of five S-400 regimental systems. File.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin. File.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a family photo ceremony prior to the BRICS Summit plenary session in Kazan, Russia.
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Terms of Reference (ToR) signed amid pressure from the U.S to reduce its economic ties with Russia. File
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New Delhi:

As Rajnath Singh and his top delegation of defence personnel continue their Russia visit, there are talks of a mega defence agreement between Moscow and New Delhi being in advanced stages. The deal – reportedly worth $4 billion will give a massive boost to India’s air defence infrastructure.

The equipment being discussed by both sides is the advanced ‘Voronezh’ series radar which is manufactured by Russia’s Almaz-Antey Corporation, which is a specialist organisation for manufacturing anti-aircraft missile systems and radars.

The Voronezh radar is a very-long-range early warning radar system with a range well over 8,000 kilometers. It is capable of identifying and tracking threats like ballistic missiles, fighter jets, and ICBMs. Should India acquire it, the advanced radar system will be able to detect any air threat from anywhere in China, South and Central Asia, and most of the Indian Ocean region.

The Voronezh radar can detect more than 500 objects simultaneously. While its overall range can go up to 10,000 kilometers, it’s vertical range exceeds 8,000 km and horizon range is over 6,000 km. Moscow claims that the Voronezh radar system can even track stealth aircraft. Due to its massive vertical range, it can provide complete data about ICBMs and situational awareness of near-Earth objects in space.

According to a report by Russia Today, talks between Moscow and New Delhi have been on for a while and last month, a team from Almaz-Antey even visited India to interact with possible offset partners who will be part of the project.

In another report by The Sunday Guardian, there is a push under the ‘Make in India’ initiative for at least 60 per cent of the radar system to be manufactured locally, for which offset partners are being sought in India.

Should the deal be finalised, the advanced radar system will likely be set up in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, and the designated location for it has also reportedly been surveyed. Chitradurga is already home to some of India’s most advanced and top secret defence and aerospace facilities.

The radar system, once acquired, will significantly improve India’s threat-detection and surveillance capabilities in Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It will also enhance India’s air defence infrastructure to fulfil its needs amid ever-growing regional and global challenges.

On day 2 of his visit today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov will co-chair a top-level meeting on military-technical cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow. India and Russia share a special, privileged, and strategic defence partnership.

Mr Singh will also take stock of the deliveries of the two remaining S-400 Triumph missile systems that New Delhi is yet to receive. India had signed a deal in 2018 for Russia to supply its advanced S-400 missile systems.
 

File picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Putin is set to visit India in early 2025
| Photo Credit: PTI

Russian President Vladimir Putin has received an invitation to visit India from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the dates for his visit will be set in early 2025, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said.

While addressing a briefing, Mr. Ushakov stated that Mr. Putin and PM Modi have an agreement to hold meetings once a year and it is Russia’s turn this time, according to Russian Embassy in India.

The diplomat stated, “Our leaders have an agreement to hold meetings once a year. This time, it’s our turn.” He further said, “We received Mr. Modi’s invitation and we will certainly consider it positively.”

Mr. Ushakov noted, “We will figure out the tentative dates early next year.”

This will be Mr. Putin’s first visit to India since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in 2022. India has always advocated “peace and diplomacy” for resolving conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Mr. Putin and Mr. Modi remain in regular contact, holding talks over phone-call once every couple of months, according to the Russian Embassy in India. The two leaders also hold in-person meetings. This year, the two leaders met twice as PM Modi in July travelled to Moscow to participate in the 22nd Russia-India summit.

Mr. Modi’s official visit to Russia in July marked his first bilateral visit after resuming office for the third time. He was also conferred with Russia’s highest national award “The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle” for his contribution to fostering India-Russia ties.

In October, PM Modi visited Russia’s Kazan for a two-day visit to attend the BRICS Summit. He thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, the people of Russia and their government for their hospitality. PM Modi took to X to share glimpses of his visit to Russia.

Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya holds a meeting with trade union members on the proposed employment-linked incentive (ELI) scheme, on Wednesday (August 28, 2024).
| Photo Credit: ANI

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin bids farewell to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The United States is disappointed about the symbolism and timing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Russia visit at a time when it hosted the NATO summit here, a senior State Department official has told the lawmakers, who have expressed concerns over the increasing India-Russia ties.

“I could not agree with you more about our disappointment about the symbolism and the timing of Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Moscow. We are having those tough conversations with our Indian friends,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told American lawmakers at a Congressional hearing here on Tuesday.

“I assure you may be if I could just take a moment to put into context that visit. Prime Minister Modi, two weeks before he went to Moscow, also saw President Zelenskyy on the margins of the G7 summit in Italy,” he said.

“Then we were looking very carefully at what Modi did when he was in Moscow. We did not see any new major defense deals. We saw no major discussion of technology cooperation. In addition, you have Modi having said in front of Putin on live television, his feeling that the war in Ukraine could not be won on the battlefield and the pain that he felt watching the death of children in war,” Mr. Lu said.

“A clear reference to the bombing of the children’s hospital in Kyiv that happened while he was there. I share your concern about this visit, sir, and we are trying very hard to communicate those concerns directly to the Indians. The Indians, who have cancelled billions of dollars in defense purchases over these last two and a half years because the Russians can’t deliver anymore. So we’re working very hard on that,” Mr. Lu said.

He was responding to a question from Congressman Joe Wilson, a former co-chair of the Caucus of India and Indian Americans in this regard.

“I was shocked and saddened to see the embrace by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who I so respect and admire embrace war criminal Putin in Moscow on the very day that Mr. Putin intentionally launched missiles at the largest children’s hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine,” he said.

“Prime Minister Modi is a hero of mine who I have visited in New Delhi, have welcomed twice to address Congress along with being present with Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina at Madison Square Garden and New York City. I was with President Donald Trump at the Howdy Modi welcome for Prime Minister Modi. 40,000 people there in Houston, Texas and it turned out it’s something I know. It was the largest assemblage of millionaires in the history of the world,” the Republican Congressman said.

“The Indian American community has been so successful. The future of India should be with democratic free markets as we have seen. Indian Americans have achieved the highest level of income of any immigrant group in the United States. In fact, Indian Americans make twice the income of the average American and indeed it’s due to association with democracy, not dictatorship and the dictatorship that world criminal Putin is trying to restore the failed Soviet Union and he wants to oppress first the people of Russia,” Mr. Wilson said.

“It’s to the benefit not of the people of Russia, but to the oligarchs just as the communist regime was to benefit the ranking members of the Communist Party. With that in mind, India should be a beacon for democracy and not dependent on a dictatorship. What can be done, to promote India not being dependent on inferior Russian weapons and cheap commodities? And we know that the gas that’s being purchased, the funding of that is going to kill Ukrainians,” he added.