Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will meet his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov in New Delhi on Thursday, marking the latest in a series of high-level engagements between the two countries amid renewed momentum in defence and strategic cooperation.
The talks come shortly after Russia’s State Duma approved a key military logistics agreement with India ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit for the annual bilateral summit. The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) pact—signed on February 18 this year—was recently forwarded for ratification by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s government.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin described the approval as reflective of the “strategic and comprehensive” nature of India–Russia relations. According to information published on the Duma’s official website, the agreement will allow military aircraft, naval vessels and other units from both countries to use each other’s facilities for joint exercises, training programmes, humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief operations.
President Putin will travel to New Delhi for the 23rd annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where defence cooperation and trade are expected to be central themes. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that discussions may cover the possibility of an additional S-400 air defence system for India and the potential for collaboration on Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
Peskov, who described the Su-57 as “the best plane in the world”, also signalled Russia’s willingness to broaden joint defence-technology initiatives, including ongoing cooperation under the BrahMos programme.
He added that civil nuclear collaboration will remain an important area of engagement, noting Moscow’s readiness to offer compact reactor technology alongside continuing work on projects such as the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.