Indian Arms Export Act clearly states that only the declared buyer can use the purchased arms. Failure to do so may stop the sale of weapons by the Indian government in the future.
Indian arms manufacturers are selling artillery shells to several European countries. However, the Europeans are sending these bullets to Ukraine, which is fighting against Russia, without using them. Although Moscow objected to this, New Delhi did not intervene to stop the export of ammunition. In this, India may become an eyesore for its old friend Russia.
On Thursday (September 19), 11 Indian and European government officials and customs officials analyzed the data.
Indian arms have been handed over for more than a year to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russia, customs data said. However, the Indian Arms Export Act clearly states that only the declared buyer can use the purchased arms. Failure to do so may stop the sale of weapons by the Indian government in the future.
The Kremlin has raised the issue on at least two occasions, including during a meeting last July between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the Indian foreign minister. This is what three Indian officials said.
The Foreign and Defense Ministries of Russia and India did not respond to any queries in this regard. The Ukrainian, Italian, Spanish and Czech defense ministries did not respond to requests for comment. However, last January, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a press conference that India has not sent or sold artillery shells to Ukraine.
India produces very little of the ammunition used by Ukraine, according to two Indian government and two defense industry sources. One official suggested that may be less than a fraction of the weapons Kiev has imported since the start of the war. could not confirm whether European customers resold the shells to Kiev or donated them.
