Russia and India Begin Joint War Games in Rajasthan Amid Oil Strains With Washington

Russia and India have commenced their joint military exercises, Indra 2025, in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, Reuters reported on October 7.

The drills, held at the Mahajan training range, will run until October 15 and focus primarily on counterterrorism coordination between the two armies.

“The main goal of the drills is honing the cohesion of both countries’ units in the fight against terrorism, including the perfection of counter-terrorism operations' tactics,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said.

“Particular attention will be paid to increasing the operational compatibility of units and exchanging the best practices in the context of modern warfare.”

The exercises come ahead of a planned visit by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to India on December 5–6, where he is expected to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to NDTV, the trip was first discussed during Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s visit to Moscow in August, though the final dates were not set until now.

The announcement also coincides with growing friction between New Delhi and Washington over India’s expanding trade ties with Moscow since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukrainian soldiers from the 63rd Mechanized Brigade captured a 22-year-old Indian national who says he was forced to choose between a Russian prison sentence and a contract to fight in Ukraine.

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