India Redirects Artillery Shell Sales for Ukraine Through Europe Despite Russian Protests

Indian manufacturers of artillery shells have been redirecting sales to European buyers for shipment to Ukraine. New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade despite protests from Moscow, as reported by Reuters.

The transfer of munitions to support Ukraine's defense against Russia has been occurring for over a year, according to sources and customs data. Three Indian officials stated that the Kremlin has raised this issue at least twice, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Indian counterpart.

According to Reuters citing two sources in the Indian government and two in the defense industry, New Delhi has supplied a very small amount of munitions used by Ukraine, with one official estimating it to be less than 1% of the total arms imported by Kyiv since the war began.

According to a Spanish official and a senior Indian official, as well as a former top manager at Yantra India, a state company whose munitions are used by Ukraine, among the European countries sending Indian munitions are Italy and the Czech Republic, which is leading an initiative to supply artillery shells to Kyiv from outside the European Union.

An Indian official who spoke on condition of anonymity stated that New Delhi is monitoring the situation. However, along with the head of the defense industry who is directly informed about the supplies, he mentioned that India has not taken any actions to restrict shipments to Europe.

India maintains warm relations with Russia, which has been its main arms supplier for decades, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to join the sanctions regime against Moscow imposed by the West.