India-Russia defence ties strengthen as Gen Dhiraj Seth meets Russian Army General in Moscow

New Delhi: The chief of the Army staff, General Dhiraj Seth, held talks with Russian forces deputy commander in chief, Colonel General Alexander Matovnikov, in Moscow on Thursday, with both sides discussing military cooperation and projects aimed at improving the combat readiness of their armed forces. The two sides also agreed to further expand cooperation between the Indian and Russian forces in various areas.

The official talks were held at the main command of the Russian Ground Forces, where Gen Seth and Matovnikov discussed military cooperation and interaction between the two armies. The talks focused on projects aimed at increasing the combat readiness of the armed forces of both countries.

During the meeting, Matovnikov highlighted the strong India-Russia strategic partnership and said the two countries have similar approaches to regional security issues and the development of a multipolar world order. He also described BRICS as an important platform for expanding cooperation between India and Russia.

The Russian side expressed satisfaction with the positive direction of bilateral ties and said it was ready to deepen defence and military cooperation with India. Matovnikov also described India and Russia as truly friendly countries and pointed to the close relationship between the two countries’ heads of state.

Gen Seth thanked the Russian side for the welcome extended to him and his delegation during the visit. His meeting with the Russian forces comes as India and Russia continue to strengthen military-to-military cooperation alongside their wider defence partnership, RT India reported on X.

During his visit, Gen Seth also paid tribute to fallen Russian soldiers at Moscow’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by laying a wreath. His planned visits to Russian military institutions are aimed at providing opportunities to discuss contemporary military developments, professional military cooperation and training.

The visit comes as India and Russia seek to develop their longstanding defence relationship beyond traditional arms purchases, with greater focus on technology cooperation, co-development, co-production and localization. This shift is particularly important for the Indian Army, which operates a large number of Russian-origin platforms and needs reliable access to spare parts, components, maintenance support and upgrades.

Gen Seth is on a three-day official visit to Russia from September 16 to 18 and is scheduled to hold several military-level engagements during the trip. According to RNA Media, he will also interact with senior Russian defence officials and visit the National Defence Control Centre and military educational institutions.

His visit comes against the backdrop of continued high-level engagement between both countries on defence and industrial cooperation. As RNA Media reported earlier, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and Russian president, Vladimir Putin, reviewed defence, trade and energy ties during their meeting in New Delhi, with industrial cooperation emerging as an important part of the evolving bilateral relationship. India and Russia have also been exploring greater localization of Russian-origin defence equipment and ways to combine Russian technology with Indian manufacturing capabilities.

India and Russia have a long history of defence cooperation involving major platforms and programmes such as the T-90 tank, Su-30MKI fighter aircraft and BrahMos. Their defence relationship has increasingly moved beyond direct procurement towards manufacturing, technology transfer and joint development, in line with India’s broader push to strengthen domestic defence production. Further cooperation between the two forces could help the Indian Army in training, military exchanges, equipment maintenance and sharing operational experience.