Rajnath, Russian counterpart discuss S-400 delivery, Sukhoi upgrades

The much anticipated upgrade of India’s fleet of Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets, hastening the supply of two batches of S-400 missile systems, along with production of air-to-air missiles, were among the main topics of discussion in the meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov in the Chinese city of Qingdao.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Thursday. (June 27).

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‘Backdrop of Operation Sindoor’

“It was one of the most important recent meetings between the leaders of the two nations, being held in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor and the consequent necessity of augmenting defence production, especially in critical items such as air defence, air-to-air missiles, modern capabilities, and upgrades of air platforms,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

“Supply of S-400 systems, Su-30 MKI upgrades, and procurement of critical military hardware in expeditious timeframes were some of the key takeaways of the meeting,” it added.

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Delivery of S-400

An elaborate discussion was also held on a wide range of issues, including current geopolitical situations, cross-border terrorism and Indo-Russian defence cooperation.

PTI reported that during the meeting, Singh urged Belousov to hasten the supply of the two remaining units of S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to India. The three other units of the advanced air defence system had already been delivered to India by Russia under a USD 5.5 billion deal.

"In his interaction with the ministers, Raksha Mantri highlighted the importance of continued engagement in defence cooperation and exploring new opportunities for collaboration in areas of technical collaboration," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

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Russia condemns Pahalgam attack

During the meeting, Belousov also condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead. “The Russian Defence Minister highlighted the long-standing Indo-Russian relations which have stood the test of time and expressed solidarity with India on the horrendous and cowardly terrorist act of 22nd April in Pahalgham, Jammu & Kashmir,” the Defence Ministry statement said.

The S-400 missile system was widely used by the Indian military during the military conflict with Pakistan in Jun, following India’s Operation Sindoor, under which precision strikes were conducted on nine key terror targets in mainland Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), resulting in the death of 100 terrorists.