India dismissed a media report published by an international media agency claiming “artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade despite protests from Moscow”. Reuters published the report on Thursday cited 11 Indian and European officials along with an analysis of the customs data.

The Ministry of External Affairs described the report as  "speculative and misleading". "It implies violations by India, where none exist and, hence, is inaccurate and mischievous," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a statement issued on Thursday.

The report claims that weapons have been transferred for more than a year to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia. According to Reuters, which cited its sources and the customs data, Indian arms export regulations restrict the use of weapons to the declared purchaser, who bears the risk of having future sales terminated if unauthorised transfers take place.

According to the media report, the issue was brought up by the Kremlin at least twice, including during a meeting in July between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and its counterpart.

The Reuters report stated, “Two Indian government and two defence industry sources told that Delhi produced only a very small amount of the ammunition being used by Ukraine, with one official estimating that it was under 1% of the total arms imported by Kyiv since the war. The news agency couldn't determine if the munitions were resold or donated to Kyiv by European customers.”

The report also cited a declaration made to the media by Randhir Jaiswal, according to which India had neither sold nor shipped artillery shells to Ukraine.

In the latest statement, the MEA emphasised that India has a flawless record of adhering to international obligations regarding the export of military and dual-use goods. The ministry emphasised that India has been exporting defence equipment while adhering to its international non-proliferation obligations and operating under a strong legal and regulatory framework that encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of pertinent criteria, such as end-user obligations and certifications.

Based on information gathered by the think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India exported slightly more than $3 billion worth of weapons between 2018 and 2023. During a conference on August 30, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that defence exports had crossed $2.5 billion in the previous fiscal year and that Delhi aims to raise that figure to roughly $6 billion by 2029.

Image source: India TV