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India rejects report on alleged arms diversion to Ukraine as 'mischievous'
The report alleged that Indian-made artillery shells, originally sold to European nations, have been diverted to Ukraine.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Thursday denounced a media report that implied violations by India in its defence exports as “speculative and misleading.”
A Reuters report alleged that Indian-made artillery shells sold to European customers had found their way to Ukraine, where they have been used in the ongoing conflict against Russia. Citing government officials and defence industry sources from both India and Europe, the report claimed that New Delhi had not intervened to prevent the resale of these arms, despite multiple protests from Moscow.
“We have seen the Reuters report. It is speculative and misleading. It implies violations by India, where none exist and, hence, is inaccurate and mischievous,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in an official statement.
He said India has a “robust legal and regulatory framework” governing its defence exports, which ensures strict compliance with international obligations on non-proliferation.
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India, he reiterated, has an “impeccable track record” regarding the export of military and dual-use items.
“India has been carrying out its defence exports, taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation and based on its own robust legal and regulatory framework, which includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria, including end user obligations and certifications,” Jaiswal added.
According to the report, the diversion of these munitions to Ukraine has occurred for more than a year, and customs data reportedly corroborated the transfers. However, the news agency acknowledged that it could not determine whether the munitions had been resold or donated to Kyiv by European buyers.
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Russia, a long-standing defence partner of India and its primary arms supplier, is reportedly unhappy with the transfers. According to Reuters, Moscow raised concerns about the issue on at least two occasions, including during a meeting in July between Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Indian external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Italy, Czech Republic identified in report
The Reuters report identified Italy and the Czech Republic as among the European nations that have been supplying Indian artillery shells to Ukraine. It cited a Spanish and a senior Indian official, as well as a former executive of Yantra India, one of the Indian companies implicated in the ammunition transfers.
Yantra India, Munitions India, and Kalyani Strategic Systems are the primary Indian ammunition makers involved, according to Reuters. The investigation revealed that India’s arms exports to European countries, including Italy, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Slovenia, had surged significantly since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.
While Indian arms export regulations limit the use of weaponry to the declared purchaser, the Reuters report suggested that some violations of these end-user agreements may have occurred during the rapid expansion of India’s defence exports. Arzan Tarapore, a defence expert from Stanford University, was quoted in the report, saying, “Probably in the sudden recent expansion, some instances of end-user violations have occurred.”
