New Delhi: General Dhiraj Seth’s three-day visit to Russia underscored the “enduring bonds of friendship, trust and military diplomacy” between New Delhi and Moscow and reinforced their commitment to deeper defence cooperation, the Indian Army said on Monday. The Army chief visited Russia from September 16 to 18, engaging senior Russian military leaders and visiting key military institutions.
In a post on X, the Army said the engagements provided insights into professional military education and training methodologies while facilitating the exchange of operational experiences and perspectives on contemporary military developments. The visit was aimed at strengthening the longstanding defence partnership and army-to-army cooperation between the two countries.
As RNA Media reported earlier, Gen Seth met the Russian deputy defence minister, General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, in Moscow, with discussions covering joint capability development, professional military exchanges and avenues for expanding military-to-military engagement. At the headquarters of the Russian land forces, he also exchanged views on contemporary military developments and measures to deepen cooperation in training and capability development.
Gen Seth received a ceremonial guard of honour in Moscow and paid homage at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The visit was the first by a serving Indian Army chief to Russia in nearly eight years, after Gen Bipin Rawat’s visit in October 2018.
In St Petersburg, Gen Seth visited the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy, where he interacted with faculty on training methodologies and artillery modernization. He was also accorded the honour of firing the traditional cannon at the historic Peter and Paul Fortress.
India and Russia have been seeking to expand defence cooperation beyond traditional arms purchases, with greater emphasis on technology transfer, joint development, co-production and localization. The relationship remains important for sustaining and modernizing Russian origin equipment already in Indian service even as New Delhi expands indigenous defence production and diversifies its military partnerships.
The Army said Gen Seth’s engagements reinforced the commitment of both countries to continued exchange of expertise and sustained military diplomacy. Its assessment after the visit placed professional interaction, training and institutional cooperation at the centre of the evolving India-Russia Army-to-Army relationship.