Talks underway to supply more S-400 missiles to India: Russia

The development comes after PM Narendra Modi told Vladimir Putin on Monday that India and Russia stood side by side even in difficult times after the Kremlin leader called the PM Modi his "dear friend" on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in China.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published on Wednesday that India did not bow to the demands by the United States to stop purchasing resources from Russia and that Moscow "appreciated" that.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia accounted for 36% of India's arms imports between 2020-2024, with France providing 33% and Israel 13%.

Why are S-400s important for India?
India’s military leadership considers the S-400 Triumf vital to its national security architecture. These long-range air defence systems form the outer shield of India’s integrated air defence network and are directly linked to the Indian Air Force’s command and control system (IACCS). Each S-400 squadron includes two missile batteries loaded with 128 missiles. These can take down enemy bombers, fighter jets, drones, cruise missiles, and spy planes from distances ranging between 120 and 380 km. They are also equipped with long-range radar and mobile launcher vehicles.

Russia-India 'special relation'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India and Russia share a “special” relationship, standing by each other in difficult times, in a defiant show of ties as Washington criticised New Delhi over oil purchases. The PM made the statement when the two leaders held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in China.

The Modi-Putin meeting comes at a time when their relationship is under global scrutiny. US President Donald Trump has publicly lambasted India for buying oil from Russia, accusing New Delhi of funding Putin’s war in Ukraine. Last week, the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods bound for the US — the highest in Asia — to penalize it for those energy purchases.

New Delhi has defended its ties with Moscow, calling Trump’s actions “unfair,” and has given no sign it will scale back purchases. In a column in The Hindu newspaper on Monday, Oil Minister Hardeep Puri said that India had not “broken rules” and that its purchases helped to shield the global economy from a price spike.