India-manufactured artillery shells diverted to Ukraine sparking Russia's ire

Artillery shells sold by Indian manufacturers have been diverted to Ukraine by European customers, sparking protests from Russia.

Despite Moscow’s objections, New Delhi has refrained from intervening in the matter, according to multiple sources from both Indian and European government and defense industries.

This information is based on an investigation by Reuters, including customs data analysis.

This revelation comes from Indian and European government officials, as well as defense industry insiders, with customs data supporting the claims.

India’s arms export regulations prohibit unauthorised transfers, but violations appear to have occurred as European nations like Italy and the Czech Republic purchased shells from India and supplied them to Ukraine.

These transactions were initiated to support Kyiv's defense against Russia's invasion. Although India has not directly provided ammunition to Ukraine, it has allowed the sale of shells to European countries, some of which have ended up in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has raised concerns over this issue, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar.

However, no significant action has been taken by India to restrict these exports, and Indian officials have remained mostly silent on the matter.

European firms such as Italy's Meccanica per l'Elettronica e Servomeccanismi (MES) have played a key role in facilitating the supply of Indian-made shells to Ukraine.

MES, a major buyer of shells from India’s Yantra, purchases empty artillery shells and fills them with explosives before sending them to Ukraine.

The growing conflict in Ukraine has created an opportunity for India, the world’s largest arms importer, to expand its defense export industry.

Between 2018 and 2023, India exported over $3 billion in arms, and in the last fiscal year alone, defense exports surpassed $2.5 billion.

This marks a significant increase in India’s global arms trade, with countries like Italy, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Slovenia among the major buyers of Indian munitions.

India’s evolving defense strategy aims to boost arms exports to $6 billion by 2029.

However, this ambition puts it in a delicate position between its long-standing relationship with Russia, its main arms supplier, and its growing defense cooperation with the West.

The situation allows India to avoid taking sides overtly in the Russia-Ukraine conflict while continuing to develop its own defense industry.

While Russia remains a crucial ally, supplying over 60% of India’s arms, the ongoing war in Ukraine provides India with a chance to assert itself as a rising global arms exporter, even if it means facing diplomatic pressure from Moscow.