NEW DELHI, India: Indian artillery shells have been diverted by European buyers to Ukraine to aid its defence against Russia, despite Indian export rules prohibiting such unauthorized transfers.
This has occurred for over a year, and Russia has raised objections, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart. However, New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade.
India officially denies sending artillery to Ukraine, with an Indian government official stating that less than 1% of Ukraine’s arms imports come from India. Despite this, European countries like Italy and the Czech Republic have been sourcing Indian munitions, some of which end up in Ukraine, according to customs data and industry sources.
Italian defence contractor MES, a key client of India’s Yantra, has been filling Indian-made shells with explosives for export to Ukraine. Between February 2022 and July 2024, Yantra exported $35 million worth of empty shells to Italy.
Similar transfers were made by Czech Defence Systems, which acquired mortar shells from Munitions India for use by Ukraine’s Defence Ministry.
Russia, India’s primary arms supplier, has expressed concern over the use of Indian munitions by Ukraine but holds little leverage over New Delhi’s decisions. The conflict provides India an opportunity to develop its nascent arms export sector while maintaining relations with both Russia and Western nations.
However, New Delhi’s delicate balancing act between supporting its growing arms industry and managing ties with its long-standing ally, Russia, continues to complicate matters.
