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Russia Transfers Missile-Armed Frigate to India—But With a Ukrainian Heart

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Vlad Litnarovych
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Russia Transfers Missile-Armed Frigate to India—But With a Ukrainian Heart
Newest Indian frigate, INS Tamal, during trials. (Source: NewsIADN/X)

Russia has officially delivered the eighth Project 11356 frigate to the Indian Navy—INS Tamal—despite the vessel being powered by Ukrainian-made gas turbine engines. The handover took place at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, according to a July 2 announcement on the shipbuilder’s official website.

The Tamal, which successfully passed acceptance trials overseen by an Indian delegation, is the second ship in India’s Tushil-class frigates, part of a broader effort to expand India’s naval reach in the Indian Ocean.

A key detail of the delivery is the use of Ukrainian M7N gas turbines, produced by Zorya-Mashproekt in Mykolaiv.

INS Tamal firing Shtil-1 air defence missile during trials. (Source: Wikimedia)
INS Tamal firing Shtil-1 air defence missile during trials. (Source: Wikimedia)

These engines were supplied to India through the Ukrainian state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom, long before the current phase of Russia’s war against Ukraine started.

Originally laid down on November 15, 2013, under the name Admiral Istomin, the ship was initially intended for the Russian Navy.

However, following Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, Ukraine halted all military exports to Russia, cutting off access to the Ukrainian engines.

By 2017, the Russian Navy had publicly floated the idea of completing the vessel for its Black Sea Fleet using alternative propulsion systems. But that plan was quietly shelved.

Instead, in 2018, Moscow and New Delhi signed an intergovernmental agreement to complete two partially built Russian frigates—Admiral Istomin and Admiral Butakov—for the Indian Navy. The construction of Tamal was officially restarted in 2019 under India’s flag.

The hull had initially been launched in November 2017 just to clear the slipway, but the frigate was re-launched in 2024 as part of its final outfitting for India.

The INS Tamal is scheduled to join India’s Western Naval Command in September 2025, where it will conduct patrols across the Indian Ocean.

Once complete, the Indian Navy’s fleet will include ten Project 11356 frigates, with two more ships currently under construction in India and expected to enter service by the end of 2026.

The Project 11356 frigates are equipped with a formidable weapons suite, including:

  • Eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, capable of striking land and sea targets at ranges of up to 300 kilometers;

  • 24 medium-range surface-to-air missiles via vertical launch cells of the Shtil-1 air defense system;

  • A 100mm A-190E naval gun and six AK-630 close-in weapon systems for defense against missiles and drones;

  • RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers and 533mm torpedo tubes for sub-surface warfare.

Earlier, India had taken a decisive step away from Russian military hardware, signing a $7.4 billion deal with France for 26 Rafale marine fighter jets, further solidifying a strategic pivot toward Western arms suppliers.

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