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India and the Russian invasion of Ukraine

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Russian President Vladimir Putin shaking hands Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 16th BRICS Summit in 2024, in front of the Indian and Russian flags.
Russian President Vladimir Putin with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 16th BRICS Summit in 2024.

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Indian-Russian economic and diplomatic ties saw significant growth, occurring in contrast to Western condemnation of and sanctions on Russia and unilateral support for Ukraine with humanitarian and military aid. India's circumvention of Western sanctions to purchase heavily discounted Russian oil and fertilizer,[1] its supply of dual-use technology to Russia,[2] and its repeated abstentions from condemning Russia's invasion negatively impacted Ukrainian ties to India,[3][4] and complicated Western diplomatic interactions with India.[5]

Trade

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After the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and because of international sanctions against Russia, it started to provide oil and chemical fertilisers at discounted rate to India, increasing India-Russia bilateral trade volume from $13 billion [2021-2022] to $27 billion within 2022[6] making it largest oil and fertiliser supplier to India.[7] During 2022–23, India became one of the largest trade partners of Russia, primarily through the purchase of Russian oil.[8] In August 2024, India became the largest importer of Russian oil, overtaking China.[9]

In December 2023, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over a five-day visit, praising the two countries' "all-time high" trading volume, praising the trade as "balanced", "sustainable" and providing "fair market access".[10]

On 12 December 2024, Russian state oil company Rosneft agreed to supply nearly 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Indian private refiner Reliance, the largest oil supply deal between the two countries in their trade history.[11]

Technology

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In September 2024, it was revealed that the Russian Federation had been covertly purchasing components for its arms industry from India. In October 2022, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, which is responsible for national defense production, developed confidential plans to spend about 82 billion rupees (about US$1 billion) on the purchase of critical electronic components through channels in India that were hidden from Western governments. Customs records indicated that India also supplied electronic equipment to the Russian Federation which including UAVs and components for radio-electronic systems.[12]

In October 2024, it became known that India has increased exports of critical sanctioned technologies to Russia, according to information from Bloomberg. The volume of Indian exports of goods subject to restrictions (including integrated circuits and machine tools) to Russia exceeded $60 million per month in April and May, twice as much as in previous months of 2024. In July, this amount reached $95 million, becoming the second-largest volume of such exports, surpassed only by China.[2]

According to information from Bloomberg in October 2024, India played a key role as an intermediary in supplying Russia with powerful AI technologies, despite Western sanctions. The key suppliers included the Indian companies Shreya Life Sciences and Hayers Infotech Private Limited, and also included suppliers from Malaysia. Between April and August 2024, Shreya Life Sciences exported 1,111 Dell PowerEdge XE9680 servers with Nvidia processors designed for artificial intelligence to Russia. Russian company Main Chain, which was not under Western sanctions at the time of the transfers, was the recipient through which the high-tech products were distributed to Russia. The value of these deliveries was estimated at $300 million. In total, since February 2022, Shreya and Hayers had supplied Russia with high-tech products worth $434 million. Despite the exports falling under concurrent Western sanctions due to their potential for military use, India maintained active business with Russia due to it not joining United States and European Union sanctions against Moscow.[13]

From March to August 2024, India imported more than 1,400 Dell PowerEdge XE9680 servers from Malaysia through Dell International Services India Private Ltd. and the Singapore branch of Dell Global BV. Following the imports, the servers were resold to Russia, which indicated that sanctions were circumvented with the help of international intermediaries.[13]

Military

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Vladimir Putin with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Moscow, December 2024

Participation of Indian citizens in the invasion of Ukraine

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On 8 March 2024, India announced the dismantling of a “vast human trafficking network” that promised young people jobs in Russia and lured them into its war against Ukraine. At least two men who had gone to Russia hoping to work as “helpers” in the army died on the front lines, their families said. The Indian embassy in Russia confirmed one of the deaths. Several others were also seriously injured. The criminal case states that some of the men were also offered admission to “dubious private universities” in the Russian Federation along with “free visa extensions at a discount.” It added that the Indian citizens were sent to the front lines “against their wishes”.[14]

Military cooperation

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In 2023, Russia and India planned to hold several joint military exercises in the Southern Military District as part of the Indra military project, which was first implemented back in 2003.[15]

On 19 September 2024, it was announced that the Indian government planned to jointly modernize and export its fleet of T-72 tanks, which numbered about 2,500 vehicles, with Russia. The modernization of the vehicles will involve joint efforts by Indian defense manufacturers and Russian technology suppliers.[16]

Diplomacy

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In March 2024, the Indian government congratulated Vladimir Putin on his re-election in the 2024 Russian presidential election.[17]

In June 2024, President Putin congratulated Narendra Modi on his re-election in the 2024 Indian general election in a telephone call, where both leaders expressed intent on further building upon the India-Russia Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership "in all areas".[18]

In July 2024, Prime Minister Modi visited Moscow to meet Putin, his first visit to Russia in five years.[19] The two embraced as Modi climbed out of his car; this act was criticized by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as it happened on the same day that Russian missiles struck a children's hospital in Kyiv.[20] During the visit, the two countries discussed nine strategic areas for closer economic cooperation, including nuclear energy and medicine, with a goal to significantly improve bilateral trade by 2030.[21][22]

Reactions

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Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized India for profiting from buying cheap Russian oil.[1] On 29 December 2022, following the Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, Kuleba tweeted, "There can be no ‘neutrality’ in the face of such mass war crimes. Pretending to be ‘neutral’ equals taking Russia's side."[23]

In March 2024, Dmytro Kuleba said on a visit to India that the country should be concerned about Russia’s deepening ties with China. He declared that “the co-operation between India and Russia is largely based on the Soviet legacy. But this is not the legacy that will be kept for centuries; it is a legacy that is evaporating.” Kuleba emphasized that Ukraine is interested in restoring trade with India and that Indian companies are welcome to participate in the recovery of the country.[24]

In June 2024, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin as a "huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts".[25] In January 2025, The Guardian reported that India's continued technological trade with Russia was causing concern among Western allies, particularly due to the potential military applications of exported goods. A senior European Union official was quoted saying, “India’s position as a strategic partner is valued, but there is unease when this position results in undermining sanctions meant to curb Russian aggression.” Indian officials, however, reiterated that their foreign policy was guided by “strategic autonomy” and “national interest.”[26]

In July 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized India over its continued oil trade with Russia, despite ongoing Western sanctions. Announcing a 25% "reciprocal tariff"[27] on Indian goods and additional penalties linked to India's purchase of Russian arms and energy, Trump also revealed a proposed trade and energy development agreement with Pakistan.[27] These remarks and policy announcements were seen as a reaction to India's ongoing oil imports from Russia, which Trump suggested were indirectly funding the war in Ukraine.[27] On 14 July 2025, Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire within 50 days.[28][29] Earlier in July, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a sanctions bill proposing tariffs of up to 500% on countries—including India—that continued to trade oil with Russia.[30][31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Sharma, Shweta (6 December 2022). "Ukraine hits out at India for buying cheap Russian oil 'while we are suffering and dying'". The Independent.
  2. ^ a b Dendrinou, Viktoria; Nardelli, Alberto (12 October 2024). "India Is Now Russia's No. 2 Supplier of Restricted Technology". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  3. ^ "India Abstains at UNHRC Vote on Probing Alleged Russian War Crimes in Ukraine". The Wire. 13 May 2022.
  4. ^ Frayer, Lauren (20 February 2023). "A year into the Ukraine war, the world's biggest democracy still won't condemn Russia". National Public Radio (NPR).
  5. ^ Porter, Tom; Abraham, Hannah (28 August 2024). "India's refusal to take a side in the Ukraine war is frustrating the West. But it has its reasons". Business Insider. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  6. ^ "India-Russia trade up by $27 bn but 'too one sided', says Indian envoy". Hindustan Times. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Russia largest oil supplier to India in October, surpasses Iraq". Tribuneindia News Service. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  8. ^ Приазов’я, Новини; Янковський, Олександр; Бадюк, Олена (17 August 2023). ""Індія, Китай – основні спонсори війни". Як РФ заробляє на нафті та чи буде блокада" ["India, China - the main sponsors of the war". How the Russian Federation makes money on oil and there will be a blockade]. Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Індія обігнала Китай як найбільшого імпортера нафти з РФ" [India overtook China as the largest importer of oil from Russia]. Економічна правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  10. ^ "In Moscow to meet Putin and Lavrov, India's foreign minister praises growing trade". AP News. 27 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Індія та росія погодили свою найбільшу в історії угоду про постачання нафти — ЗМІ" [India and Russia agree on their largest-ever oil supply deal — Media]. hromadske (in Ukrainian). 12 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  12. ^ Seddon, Max; Rathbone, John Paul; Cook, Chris; Reed, John (4 September 2024). "Russia built covert trade channel with India, leaks reveal". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Bloomberg: Індія та Малайзія сприяють обходу санкцій проти росії" [Bloomberg: India and Malaysia help circumvent sanctions against Russia]. 5 канал (in Ukrainian). 28 October 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  14. ^ Свиридюк, Юрій (9 March 2024). "Індія розкрила мережу торгівлі людьми, які Росія змушує воювати проти України" [India has uncovered a network of human trafficking that Russia is forcing to fight against Ukraine]. Суспільне | Новини (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  15. ^ "India-Russia Defence Cooperation". Embassy of India (in Russian).
  16. ^ "Індія розпродасть свої танки Т-72" [India to sell off its T-72 tanks]. Мілітарний. Чесні новини про армію, війну та оборону. (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Modi congratulates Putin on election win – why India continues to support Russia". The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  18. ^ "President Putin congratulates PM on his re-election". PM India. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  19. ^ Das, Anupreeta; Kumar, Hari (8 July 2024). "As Modi Meets Putin in Moscow, India Seeks to Chart Its Own Course". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  20. ^ Giordano, Elena (9 July 2024). "Zelenskyy: Modi is a 'huge disappointment' for hugging Putin". politico.eu. Politico. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  21. ^ "Leaders' Joint Statement on the development of strategic areas of Russia-India economic cooperation for the period up to 2030". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  22. ^ Soldatkin, Vladimir (9 July 2024). "India's Modi tells Putin that 'heart bleeds' over deaths of children in war". Reuters. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  23. ^ "British Defense Ministry Notes 'Continued Churn of Senior Russian Officials'". VOA News. 30 December 2022.
  24. ^ Reed, John (29 March 2024). "Ukraine urges India to rethink 'Soviet legacy' of Russia ties". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  25. ^ Regan, Helen; Knight, Mariya; Butenko, Victoria (9 July 2024). "'Huge disappointment:' Zelensky blasts Modi meeting with Putin the same day Russian attack devastates Ukraine hospital". CNN.
  26. ^ Bose, Ananya (10 January 2025). "India's trade with Russia raises concern among Western allies". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  27. ^ a b c "Donald Trump Snubs India, Signs Oil Deal With Pak. What Does This Mean?". NDTV. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  28. ^ Birnbaum, Michael; Daviesv, Emily (14 July 2025). "Trump backs Kyiv in war with Russia with weapons and threats to Moscow". The Washington Post.
  29. ^ Bousso, Ron (29 July 2025). "Trump's short fuse could set off Russian oil sanctions timebomb". Reuters.
  30. ^ "Will the US really impose 500% tariffs on India and China for trading with Russia?". Firstpost. 2 July 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  31. ^ "US Plans 500% Tariffs On Top Russian Oil Buyers. How It Will Affect India". NDTV. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
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