India has dismissed a information report claiming the federal government failed to stop European consumers from transferring Indian-made artillery shells to Ukraine.
In a story revealed on Thursday, Reuters alleged that artillery shells offered by Indian arms makers hade been diverted by European clients to Ukraine.
The report alleged that the switch of ammunition has been ongoing for greater than a 12 months, with Delhi taking no motion to cease it regardless of repeated protests from Moscow.
India’s overseas ministry has known as the report “speculative” and “deceptive”.
The report “implies violations by India, the place none exist, and therefore, is inaccurate and mischievous”, Randhir Jaiswal, the ministry’s spokesperson wrote on X (previously Twitter).
Mr Jaiswal added that India has an “impeccable observe report compliance with worldwide obligations” on non-proliferation of arms and has its personal strong export guidelines.
Moscow is but to react to the report or Delhi’s assertion.
Indian arms export laws limit using weapons to the designated purchaser, and any unauthorised transfers might jeopardise future gross sales. In Could, India had announced additional tightening of export guidelines, mandating that consumers make sure the arms aren’t despatched to 3rd international locations.
Ukraine, which is battling a renewed offensive from Russia, reportedly grapples with a scarcity of artillery ammunition.
Citing unnamed Indian and European authorities and defence business officers together with customs information, the Reuters report stated that India produced a small quantity of the ammunition being utilized by Ukraine – which is estimated to be beneath 1% of the entire arms imported by Kyiv because the struggle started in 2021.
Italy and the Czech Republic are among the many European international locations sending Indian ammunitions to Ukraine, it added.
The report stated Moscow had raised the problem with Delhi on not less than two events, together with throughout a gathering between the overseas ministers of each international locations in July.
India has avoided straight criticising Russia over the struggle, which has drawn the annoyance of Western powers.
Delhi, nevertheless, has typically spoken concerning the significance of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries. It has constantly pushed for diplomacy and dialogue to finish the struggle.
India and Russia have historically shared heat relations, and Moscow stays an vital commerce and defence associate for Delhi regardless of Western sanctions on Russia.
Final 12 months, Russia was India’s greatest oil provider. Within the defence sector, it continues to be India’s greatest ally, supplying greater than 60% of Delhi’s wants.
In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first bilateral journey to Russia after being elected to his third time period, the place he referred to President Vladimir Putin as a “pricey buddy”.
However Modi’s Russia go to invited the ire of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, who stated he was “upset to see the chief of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody prison in Moscow”.
Weeks later, Modi visited Ukraine and held talks with Zelensky, which analysts stated was in step with India’s famed non-alignment strategy to geopolitics.
