Russia Draws on Ukraine War Experience in Sweeping Military Drills With India

India and Russia have launched the Indra 2026 bilateral military exercise, expanding coordination between their armed forces across multiple domains while incorporating lessons Russia says it has drawn from its war against Ukraine, according to Zona Militar on October 18.

The ground phase is taking place in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, south of the Ural Mountains, while the naval portion is centered on Vladivostok and the Sea of Japan.

Moscow says the exercise is intended to improve interoperability between Russian and Indian forces and test how effectively commanders and units can operate together.

The land drills will continue through October 23, with Russia’s 90th Guards Tank Division from the Central Military District providing the core of the participating force.

Russia has not disclosed the total number of personnel involved. Training will include operations against what Moscow describes as “illegal armed groups,” along with joint tactical exercises designed to evaluate coordination between the two militaries.

The naval phase is scheduled for October 16-17 in the Sea of Japan and will include live-fire exercises against maritime targets, joint maneuvering, communications drills, and training for boarding and retaking a vessel seized by a simulated terrorist group.

One of the most notable elements will be training against unmanned threats. Russian and Indian sailors are expected to practice defending against both unmanned surface vessels and UAVs, with Moscow explicitly linking the training to lessons learned from Russia’s war against Ukraine, where drones have transformed operations at sea and on land.

The Russian corvette Aldar Tsydenzhapov and Indian frigate INS Sahyadri are expected to play central roles in the naval drills.

Indra has long served as one of the main formats for military cooperation between Moscow and New Delhi. This year’s exercise comes as Russia continues adapting its training programs around technologies and tactics that have become increasingly important during its war against Ukraine, particularly drones, electronic warfare, and defenses against unmanned systems.

The air component will involve Su-30SM fighters from both the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Indian Air Force, although neither side has disclosed how many aircraft will participate. The fighters are expected to train against small drones flying at low altitude, another mission area heavily shaped by lessons from the war in Ukraine.

The exercise will also include “maneuvering air combat at medium and low altitudes,” while Mi-8 helicopters will practice emergency search-and-rescue missions in remote areas.

Earlier, reports emerged that Russia has spent nearly four years urging India to increase exports of food, medicine, machinery, and other goods, but the effort has produced little change, leaving the two countries’ nearly $60 billion trade relationship overwhelmingly tilted toward Russian oil sales.

Help Ukrainian Units Hold the Drone Line

Download APP