QINGDAO (Agencies): India and Russia have reaffirmed their strategic defense partnership with a renewed focus on the delivery of remaining S-400 Triumf air defense systems and the modernization of India’s Su-30MKI fleet, amid heightened regional tensions and conflicting claims over battlefield losses.
The discussions took place between Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defense Ministers’ summit in Qingdao, China. The Indian Ministry of Defense described the meeting as “critical,” particularly in the wake of Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strikes on alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-administered Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
Among the key topics was the expedited delivery of two remaining S-400 squadrons, part of a $5.43 billion deal signed in 2018. India has so far received three of the five systems, which are deployed to protect strategic assets across the country.
However, the operational status of these systems has come under scrutiny following Pakistan’s claim that it destroyed an Indian S-400 unit in Adampur during its retaliatory campaign, Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, launched on May 10. According to Pakistan’s state media and military sources, JF-17 Thunder jets equipped with hypersonic missiles struck the S-400 battery, reportedly neutralizing one of India’s most advanced air defense assets.
Indian authorities have not confirmed the loss, and independent verification remains elusive. Indian defense officials have dismissed the reports as disinformation, while Pakistani sources maintain the strike was successful and part of a broader campaign that targeted multiple Indian military installations.
The meeting in Qingdao also covered the ?60,000 crore Su-30MKI upgrade program, under which 84 aircraft will receive new radars, electronic warfare systems, and indigenous missile integration. Russia reaffirmed its commitment to supporting India’s defense modernization and emphasized the long-standing military-technical cooperation between the two nations.
The evolving situation underscores the fragile security environment in South Asia, where high-tech systems like the S-400 are both strategic assets and symbolic targets. As India continues to balance its reliance on Russian hardware with its push for indigenous defense production, the credibility and survivability of such systems will remain under close scrutiny.