Media: India ousting Russia from Armenian arms market

India has rapidly emerged as Armenia’s leading arms supplier, displacing Russia in a market once dominated by Moscow, according to statements made in the Armenian parliament and a recent report by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) reviewed by Russian news outlet Vedomosti.

The report, which is titled "Russia-Armenia Cooperation at the Present Stage," reads that Armenia signed defence contracts with India worth over $1.5 billion between 2022 and 2023.

During this period, Yerevan signed several agreements to procure Indian 214-mm Pinaka multiple launch rocket systems, 155-mm ATAGS artillery systems, ZADS anti-drone systems, Akash-1S air defence systems, as well as Konkurs anti-tank missile systems (produced under a Russian license), mortars, and various types of ammunition. India is also expected to deliver its medium-range Akash-NG air defence system soon.

Another major military partner for Armenia is France. Between 2023 and 2024, Yerevan signed contracts with Paris totalling around $250 million. These include the purchase of three GroundMaster 200 radars, portable Mistral 3 surface-to-air missile systems, and Caesar self-propelled howitzers.

With its CSTO ally, Russia, Armenia last signed a $400 million defence deal in 2021, which, according to the report, has not yet been fully executed. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia accounted for up to 94% of Armenia's arms imports from 2011 to 2020. However, by 2024, this share had dropped to 10%, as stated by Armenia’s National Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan in a March interview with Armenian Public Television. The RIAC attributes the decline in Russian arms exports to Armenia primarily to supply chain difficulties caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In addition, public perception of Russia in Armenia has shifted: from a friendly ally, it is increasingly seen as a source of “political threats.” According to a December 2023 poll by the International Republican Institute (IRI), Russia ranked third among perceived political threats to Armenia, after Azerbaijan and Türkiye. The key turning point, according to the RIAC report, was Armenia's defeat in the Second Karabakh War in autumn 2020, followed by border clashes with Azerbaijan, during which, in Yerevan’s view, Moscow responded with restraint.

As a result, Armenia’s leadership has pursued a strategy of diversifying its foreign relations, moving closer to Western states. In January 2025, Armenia and the United States signed a Charter on Strategic Partnership in Washington. In February, Armenia’s parliament approved a government bill initiating the process of joining the European Union (EU).

Nonetheless, Russia remains Armenia’s key trade partner. According to Armenia’s Statistical Committee, Russia accounted for over 41% of Armenia’s trade turnover last year ($12.4 billion, including $3.1 billion in Armenian exports), compared to 37% ($7.9 billion) in the same period of 2023. Additionally, the volume of accumulated Russian investments doubled over 2022–2023, reaching $4 billion. However, the main driver behind the growth in Russia-Armenia trade has been the re-export of certain Western goods to Russia and the export of Russian goods to international markets through Armenian territory, the RIAC report notes.

By Khagan Isayev