Moscow: Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth has concluded his three-day official visit to Russia, during which he interacted with senior military leadership of the country and visited key military institutions, Indian military officials said Saturday.
The visit, which concluded Friday, provided fresh impetus to India-Russia defence cooperation, with engagements focused on capability development, training exchanges, artillery modernisation and sharing of operational experience, the officials said.
Seth’s visit comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
The two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation across political, economic, defence, energy, space and other sectors during their meeting last week.
In Moscow, Seth interacted with General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation.
The discussions covered joint capability development, professional military exchanges and avenues for expanding military-to-military engagement, the officials said.
At the headquarters of the Russian Land Forces, Seth exchanged perspectives on contemporary military developments and discussed measures to deepen cooperation between the two armies, particularly in training, capability development and sharing of professional experience, they said.
During his visit to St Petersburg, Seth visited the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy and interacted with its faculty on training methodologies and modernisation of artillery.
He was also accorded the unique honour of firing the traditional cannon at the historic Peter and Paul Fortress, the officials said.
Seth received a ceremonial Guard of Honour and paid homage at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow is a national war memorial honouring Soviet soldiers who died during World War II.
The visit reinforced the enduring trust between India and Russia and underlined the shared commitment to sustained military diplomacy, institutional exchanges and mutually beneficial professional cooperation, the officials said.
India and Russia have expanded their defence cooperation beyond equipment purchases to joint production and technology cooperation, including the BrahMos missile project.
The two countries also conduct regular military exercises, including the Indra series, which has been part of their bilateral defence cooperation since 2003.
Russia accounted for 40 per cent of India’s arms imports during 2021-2025, making it the largest supplier to India during the period, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
PTI
