Artillery shells sold by Indian arms manufacturers were diverted by European customers to Ukraine. India did not intervene in the deal to stop the trade, which caused protests from moscow. This was reported by Reuters, citing sources and its own analysis, UNN writes.
Details
According to sources and customs data, the transfer of Indian weapons to Ukraine has been going on for more than a year.
At the same time, Indian arms export regulations restrict the use of weapons only to the declared buyer, and in case of an unauthorized transfer, the supply of weapons may be stopped. russia has raised this issue at least twice, including during the July meeting between russian foreign minister lavrov and his Indian counterpart.
Indian government and defense industry sources told Reuters that India produces a small amount of the ammunition used by Ukraine. One official estimates that it accounts for less than 1% of the total amount of weapons imported by Ukraine during the war.
Among the European countries sending Indian ammunition to Ukraine are Italy and the Czech Republic, which is leading an initiative to supply Kyiv with artillery shells from outside the European Union, according to a Spanish and senior Indian official, as well as a former top executive of the Indian state-owned company whose ammunition Ukraine uses.
The Indian official said that Delhi was monitoring the situation. But along with a defense industry executive with direct knowledge of the shipments, he said that India is not taking any steps to stop the shipments to Europe.
Recall
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that a change in India's position on the war will make putin want to end it. Zelensky emphasized the importance of India's influence on the russian economy.
FT: росія таємно закуповувала в Індії товари подвійного призначення04.09.24, 20:32