India\u2019s arms export regulations prohibit unauthorised transfers but violations appear to have occurred
\n Moscow
\nArtillery shells sold by Indian manufacturers have been diverted to Ukraine by European customers, sparking protests from Russia.
\nDespite Moscow\u2019s objections, New Delhi has refrained from intervening in the matter, according to multiple sources from both Indian and European government and defense industries.
\nThis information is based on an investigation by Reuters, including customs data analysis.
\nThis revelation comes from Indian and European government officials, as well as defense industry insiders, with customs data supporting the claims.
\nIndia\u2019s arms export regulations prohibit unauthorised transfers, but violations appear to have occurred as European nations like Italy and the Czech Republic purchased shells from India and supplied them to Ukraine.
\nThese transactions were initiated to support Kyiv\u2019s defense against Russia\u2019s invasion. Although India has not directly provided ammunition to Ukraine, it has allowed the sale of shells to European countries, some of which have ended up in Ukraine.
\nThe Kremlin has raised concerns over this issue, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar.
\nHowever, no significant action has been taken by India to restrict these exports, and Indian officials have remained mostly silent on the matter.
\nEuropean firms such as Italy\u2019s Meccanica per l\u2019Elettronica e Servomeccanismi (MES) have played a key role in facilitating the supply of Indian-made shells to Ukraine.
\nMES, a major buyer of shells from India\u2019s Yantra, purchases empty artillery shells and fills them with explosives before sending them to Ukraine.
\nThe growing conflict in Ukraine has created an opportunity for India, the world\u2019s largest arms importer, to expand its defense export industry.
\nBetween 2018 and 2023, India exported over $3 billion in arms, and in the last fiscal year alone, defense exports surpassed $2.5 billion.
\nThis marks a significant increase in India\u2019s global arms trade, with countries like Italy, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Slovenia among the major buyers of Indian munitions.
\nIndia\u2019s evolving defense strategy aims to boost arms exports to $6 billion by 2029.
\nHowever, this ambition puts it in a delicate position between its long-standing relationship with Russia, its main arms supplier, and its growing defense cooperation with the West.
\nThe situation allows India to avoid taking sides overtly in the Russia-Ukraine conflict while continuing to develop its own defense industry.
\nWhile Russia remains a crucial ally, supplying over 60% of India\u2019s arms, the ongoing war in Ukraine provides India with a chance to assert itself as a rising global arms exporter, even if it means facing diplomatic pressure from Moscow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
India\u2019s arms export regulations prohibit unauthorised transfers but violations appear to have occurred Moscow Artillery shells sold by Indian manufacturers have been diverted to Ukraine by European customers, sparking protests from Russia. Despite Moscow\u2019s objections, New Delhi has refrained from intervening in the matter, according to multiple sources from both Indian and European government and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":432264,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-432244","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n