Reuters: Ammunition from India enters Ukraine, raising Russian ire

Artillery shells manufactured by Indian arms producers are reportedly being diverted to Ukraine by European customers, despite Indian officials maintaining that India has not directly sold munitions to Ukraine.

This trade has persisted for over a year, according to various government and defence industry sources, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Indian arms export regulations restrict the end-use of exported weaponry, with potential consequences for non-compliance. The Kremlin has expressed its concerns, particularly during a meeting in July between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart.

Although India produced only a small fraction of the ammunition used by Ukraine—estimated at less than 1 per cent of total imports—the country is capitalizing on the ongoing conflict to bolster its arms export sector.

Countries like Italy and the Czech Republic are key players in transferring Indian munitions to Ukraine. Indian officials have indicated that while they are monitoring the situation, no measures have been taken to halt these exports to Europe.

Ukraine faces a severe shortage of artillery ammunition as it strives to repel Russian advances, making the diversion of Indian-made shells critical. The Indian government has set ambitious goals for its defense exports, aiming to increase them to about $6 billion by 2029.

Customs records show that Indian ammunition exports surged from $2.8 million before the February 2022 invasion to over $135 million by July 2024. Notably, Indian companies like Yantra India are supplying empty shells to European firms, which then fill them with explosives for shipment to Ukraine.

Despite India's warm ties with Russia, its efforts to expand arms exports serve as a diplomatic gesture to the West, demonstrating a balanced approach amid the geopolitical tensions surrounding the Ukraine conflict.