NEW DELHI: Artillery shells sold by Indian arms manufacturers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and India has not intervened to prevent the trade despite protests and deep concerns from Russia. This was disclosed by eleven Indian and European government and defence industry officials. Reuters reported that the news agency also confirmed the news through the help of commercially available customs data. The data showed that the transfer of weaponries to support Kyiv’s defence against Moscow has occurred for more than a year.
Despite Moscow Protests, New Delhi Sees Arms Exports to Kyiv as Commercial Opportunity
Moscow has raised this serious issue on at least two occasions, including during a July talk between Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, three Indian officials told Reuters news agency. After publication of this report, Indian foreign ministry has said that the report is misleading, inaccurate.
Reuters reported that two Indian government and two defence industry sources admitted that India produced ammunition being used by Kyiv. Indian arms manufacturers sold artillery shells to European buyers, which were later diverted to Ukraine, experts said. Reuters cited a Spanish and a senior Indian official as saying that among the European nations supplying Indian ammunitions to Ukraine are the Czech Republic and Italy, which is leading an initiative to provide Ukraine with artillery shells from outside the EU.
An Indian official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity that New Delhi had not taken any action to stop the supply to Europe. The Ukrainian, Spanish, Italian, and Czech defence ministries did not issue any statement over the matter. According to media reports, Ukraine has dire shortage of artillery shells as it fights against Russia
India’s Hypocrisy in Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi also has warm relations with Moscow, its main arms supplier for decades, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declined to join the Western-led sanctions regime against.
According to media reports despite Russian protests, India sees arms exports to Ukraine as commercial opportunity. Reports said that India has denied selling these artillery shells directly to Kyiv. Experts were of the views that despite Moscow’s protests, New Delhi has not taken steps to stop this trade. They said that India views the ongoing deadly war in Europe as an opportunity to expand its arms export industry. They maintained that Russia remains a key defence partner, supplying more than 60% of India’s military imports.
India Takes Profit from War and Bloodshed in Ukraine
India is profiting from war and bloodshed, portraying it as a country that thrives on conflict, selling arms to fuel violence in Ukraine, despite its claims of neutrality. India is seen as prioritizing profit over ethics.
International relations experts said that India is making money by selling the same ammunition that originated from Russia, to Ukraine, which is currently at war with Russia. India capitalizing on human suffering, they remarked. India’s double standards, taking over 60% of its arms from Russia, yet allowing those same arms to be used against Russian forces.
India is betraying its long-time ally, Russia, by indirectly supplying arms to Ukraine, the very country at war with Moscow. Despite benefiting from Russian military support, India is allowing the same munitions to be used against Russian forces, highlighting its lack of loyalty, experts added.
Many experts believed that India’s actions may raise doubts about its reliability as a defence partner. Russia, which supplies over 60% of India’s military imports, is being undermined by India’s desire to profit from arms sales, further eroding trust in their bilateral relationship, defence analysts said.
India’s arms export ambitions, particularly in a war zone, driven by greed and a lust for money, ignoring the humanitarian consequences of its actions, human right experts said.
India Secretly Allows Arms Sales to Kyiv
India’s involvement in arms trade during global conflicts shows its disregard for peace and stability, further damaging its international image, experts maintained.
The hypocrisy of India refusing to join Western sanctions against Russia while quietly profiting from the war, further straining its diplomatic relationships. India claimed neutrality in the Ukraine-Russia conflict while secretly allowing arms sales to Kyiv. This undermines India’s credibility on the global stage and exposes its opportunistic behaviour in a time of war.