Speculative, misleading: India on report of diversion of ammunition to Ukraine
India on Thursday rejected the report which claimed that artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers were diverted by European customers to Ukraine.
Calling the report “speculative and misleading”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India has an impeccable track record of compliance with international obligations on the export of military and dual-use items.
“We have seen the Reuters report. It is speculative and misleading. It implies violations by India, where none exist and, hence, is inaccurate and mischievous. India has an impeccable track record of compliance with international obligations on the export of military and dual-use items,” MEA said in a statement.
“India has been carrying out its defence exports taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation and based on its own robust legal and regulatory framework, which includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria, including end-user obligations and certifications,” the ministry added.
In its report, Reuters claimed that the transfer of ammunition to aid Ukraine’s defense against Russia has been ongoing for more than a year.
“Indian arms export regulations limit the use of weaponry to the declared purchaser, who risks future sales being terminated if unauthorised transfers occur,” the report claimed.
It also alleged that New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade, even after protests from Russia. “Moscow has raised the issue on at least two occasions, including during a meeting in July between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar,” it claimed.
The news agency, quoting two Indian government and two defence industry sources, claimed that New Delhi produced only a very small amount of the ammunition being used by Ukraine, with one official estimating that it was under 1 per cent of the total arms imported by Kyiv since the war.
The report also revealed that Ukraine, which is battling to contain a Russian offensive toward the eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk, has a dire shortage of artillery ammunition.
According to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think-tank, India exported just over $3 billion of arms between 2018 and 2023.
A former top Yantra India officer told Reuters that unlisted Italian defence contractor Meccanica per l’Elettronica e Servomeccanismi (MES) was among the companies sending Indian-made shells to Ukraine. Yantra India is a government-owned company whose munitions are being used by Ukraine.