General Dhiraj Seth wraps up Russia visit to deepen India defence ties
Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth has concluded his three-day official visit to Russia, during which he met the country’s senior military leadership and visited key military institutions, Indian military officials said on Saturday. The visit ended on Friday and focused on capability development, training exchanges, artillery modernisation and sharing operational experience.
The officials said the visit gave fresh impetus to India-Russia defence cooperation. It also came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, where they reviewed bilateral cooperation across political, economic, defence, energy, space and other sectors.
In Moscow, General Seth met General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. The discussions covered joint capability development, professional military exchanges and ways to expand military-to-military engagement, the officials said. At the headquarters of the Russian Land Forces, he exchanged views on contemporary military developments and discussed steps to deepen cooperation between the two armies, especially in training, capability development and sharing professional experience.
During his visit to St Petersburg, General Seth visited the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy and interacted with its faculty on training methods and artillery modernisation. He was also accorded the honour of firing the traditional cannon at the historic Peter and Paul Fortress, the officials said. In Moscow, he received a ceremonial Guard of Honour and paid homage at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a national war memorial honouring Soviet soldiers who died during World War II.
India and Russia have expanded their defence ties beyond equipment purchases to joint production and technology cooperation, including the BrahMos missile project. The two countries also hold regular military exercises, including the Indra series, which has been part of their bilateral defence cooperation since 2003. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia accounted for 40 per cent of India’s arms imports during 2021-2025, making it India’s largest supplier in that period.
The officials said the visit reinforced the enduring trust between India and Russia and underlined their shared commitment to sustained military diplomacy, institutional exchanges and mutually beneficial professional cooperation.
