Shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine, and New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade.
The transfer of munitions from India to support Ukraine's defence against Russia has been going on for more than a year, according to sources and customs data.
The Kremlin has raised the issue on at least two occasions, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, three Indian officials said.Following the publication of this report, India's foreign ministry described it as"speculative and misleading".
In January, Mr Jaiswal told a news conference that India had not sent or sold artillery shells to Ukraine. Delhi and Washington, Ukraine's main security backer, have recently strengthened defence and diplomatic cooperation against the backdrop of a rising China, which both regard as their main rival. The White House declined to comment and the US State Department referred questions on Delhi's arms exports to the Indian government.India exported just over US$3 billion of arms between 2018 and 2023, according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think-tank.
Mr Arzan Tarapore, an India defence expert at Stanford University, said that Delhi's push to expand its arms exports was a major factor in the transfer of its arms to Ukraine.Unlisted Italian defence contractor Meccanica per l'Elettronica e Servomeccanismi was among the companies sending Indian-made shells to Ukraine, said the former top Yantra official.
Customs records also show that in February 2024, UK-based arms company Dince Hill - whose board includes a top MES executive - exported US$6.7 million in ammunition from Italy to Ukraine.
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