Don't turn your back on us, Russian team tells India

A Russian delegation met government officials to urge India to not ‘turn its back’ on Russia, their longtime friends.

The statement comes in the wake of several large-scale purchases by India of military hardware from the United States and the West.

The delegation expressed its concern about India’s recent acquisition of American and French aircraft, including the C-17 Globemaster and Dassault Rafale. India is also in negotiations to purchase 22 Boeing AH-64D Apache attack helicopters to replace its ageing fleet of Russian Mil-24 ‘Hind’ helicopters. 

 A senior official from the Russian Technologies State Corporation said, “When 70 per cent of Indian armament is Russian, India now buys American transport planes which cannot accommodate its existing force tanks in the new aircraft. Amazingly, they are also spending twice the amount of money for these new planes. The Russian industries are not winning any Indian military contracts because all of them are being won by the US State department.”

The delegation also urged India to recognise Russia as their ‘true strategic’ partners. They also claimed that India was being hypocritical when it came to sales. “India tells us with Pakistan,” said one of the delegate members. “But they say nothing when France sells submarines to Pakistan, or when some other countries also trade with them. Moreover, India continues to buy military systems from such countries,” they said.