New Delhi, November 14
Russia has started delivering the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to India and the deliveries are going as planned, Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Dmitry Shugaev told Sputnik media outlet ahead of the Dubai Airshow.
“The supplies of the S-400 air defence system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule,” said Shugaev.
The S-400 has already entered service in China and Turkey. Russia and India signed a contract on the delivery of S-400s in October 2018.
In August, the head of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev had said negotiations on the supply of S-400 air defence systems were underway with seven countries in the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region and Africa.
Though the US threatens to impose sanctions on countries that buy major defence systems from Russia, South Block here is not flustered. Two years back when this issue came up during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s US visit, the Ministers had said, “I am reasonably convinced of the powers of my persuasion. It would be my hope that people understand why this transaction is important for us.”
The announcement by the Russian official comes as a surprise because Moscow had so far indicated that the supplies would begin next month, around the time Russian President Valdimir Putin visits India.
On December 6, the day Putin meets PM Modi, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a joint 2+2 conversation with their counterparts, Rajnath Singh and Jaishankar.
Russian NSA Gen Nikolai Patrushev has already visited twice, first in September and then last week for the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan.
