Indian Artillery Shells Reach Ukraine, Sparking Russian Fury

Source : IgMp Bureau

Munitions India Limited various kinds of ammunitions on showcase in a Defence Expo (File Photo)

Indian Artillery Shells Reach Ukraine, Sparking Russian Fury

Artillery shells produced by Indian defense manufacturers have been redirected by European buyers to Ukraine, with the Indian government refraining from intervening despite protests from Moscow, as revealed by eleven officials from Indian and European governments and defense sectors, alongside a Reuters examination of publicly available customs data. The transfer of these munitions to bolster Ukraine's defense against Russia has been ongoing for over a year, according to these sources and the customs information. Indian arms export regulations stipulate that weaponry must only be utilized by the declared purchaser, who risks losing the ability to make future purchases if unauthorized transfers occur. The Kremlin has raised concerns on at least two occasions, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, as reported by three Indian officials.

This marks the first time details regarding these ammunition transfers have been disclosed by Reuters. Neither the foreign nor defense ministries of Russia and India responded to inquiries. In January, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated in a press briefing that India had neither sent nor sold artillery shells to Ukraine.

Two sources from the Indian government and two from the defense industry informed Reuters that Delhi produced only a negligible quantity of the ammunition currently utilized by Ukraine, with one official estimating it to be less than 1% of the total arms imported by Kyiv since the onset of the conflict. The news agency was unable to determine if the munitions were sold or donated to Kyiv by the European buyers. Among the European nations supplying Indian munitions to Ukraine are Italy and the Czech Republic, which is spearheading an initiative to provide Kyiv with artillery shells sourced from outside the European Union, according to a senior Indian official and a former executive at Yantra India, a state-owned company whose munitions are being deployed in Ukraine.

The Indian official noted that Delhi was keeping an eye on the situation. However, along with a defense industry executive knowledgeable about the transfers, he stated that India had not taken any steps to curb the supply to Europe. Most of the 20 individuals interviewed by Reuters requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

The defense ministries of Ukraine, Italy, Spain, and the Czech Republic did not respond to requests for comment.

Recently, Delhi and Washington, the primary security supporter of Ukraine, have strengthened their defense and diplomatic cooperation amid escalating tensions with China, which both view as their main adversary. India also maintains cordial relations with Russia, its main arms supplier for decades, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declined to align with the Western-led sanctions against Moscow.

However, Delhi, historically the largest importer of weapons globally, also perceives the prolonged war in Europe as an opportunity to expand its emerging arms export sector, as noted by six Indian sources familiar with the government's perspective. Ukraine, currently fighting to counter a Russian advance toward the eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk, faces a severe shortage of artillery ammunition.

The White House declined to comment, and the U.S. State Department directed inquiries about Delhi's arms exports to the Indian government.

According to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India exported just over $3 billion in arms between 2018 and 2023.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated at a conference on August 30 that defense exports exceeded $2.5 billion in the prior fiscal year, with Delhi aiming to boost that figure to approximately $6 billion by 2029. Customs records indicate that in the two years prior to the February 2022 invasion, three major Indian ammunition manufacturers — Yantra, Munitions India, and Kalyani Strategic Systems — exported only $2.8 million in munitions components to Italy, the Czech Republic, as well as Spain and Slovenia, where defense contractors have heavily invested in supply chains for Ukraine.

From February 2022 to July 2024, this figure surged to $135.25 million, according to the data, including completed munitions that India began exporting to these four nations.

Arzan Tarapore, a defense expert from Stanford University, remarked that Delhi's ambition to expand its arms exports significantly influenced the transfer of its arms to Ukraine.

"Perhaps in the recent rapid expansion, some instances of end-user violations have occurred."

Unlisted Italian defense contractor Meccanica per l'Elettronica e Servomeccanismi (MES) has been identified as one of the companies transferring Indian-made shells to Ukraine, according to a former high-ranking Yantra official.

MES is the largest foreign client of Yantra. The executive indicated that the Rome-based firm purchases empty shells from India and subsequently fills them with explosives.

While several Western firms possess the capability to fill explosives, they lack the manufacturing capacity to mass-produce artillery shells, the executive explained.

Yantra mentioned in its 2022-23 annual report that it had struck a deal with an unnamed Italian client to establish a production line for L15A1 shells, which the former Yantra executive confirmed to be MES.

Neither MES nor Yantra India responded to emails requesting comments.

Customs data reveal that Yantra exported $35 million worth of empty 155mm L15A1 shells to MES between February 2022 and July 2024.

Additionally, customs records indicate that in February 2024, U.K.-based arms firm Dince Hill — which has a board member from MES — exported $6.7 million in ammunition from Italy to Ukraine.

The exports included 155mm L15A1 shells, which the customs declaration specified were manufactured by MES for Ukraine's Defense Ministry and supplied for "enhancing the defense capability and mobilization readiness of Ukraine."

Dince Hill did not respond to an email seeking comment. Its new owner, Rome-based Effequattro Consulting, could not be contacted. In another case, Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente shared on social media in May an end-user agreement signed by a Czech defense official that authorized the transfer of 120mm and 125mm ammunition shells from Munitions India to arms dealer Czech Defense Systems.

Pro-Palestinian activists had alleged that the Borkum, a vessel carrying Indian-made arms which had stopped in a Spanish port, was transporting weapons to Israel.

However, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported in May that the actual destination was Ukraine. A Spanish official and another source familiar with the situation confirmed to Reuters that Kyiv was the end user. Munitions India and CDS did not respond to inquiries.

Customs records dated March 27 show Munitions India shipped 10,000 rounds of 120mm and 125mm mortar shells, valued at over $9 million, from Chennai to CDS.

Russia, which accounts for over 60% of Delhi's arms imports, is a crucial ally for India. In July, Modi chose Moscow for his first bilateral international trip following his election to a third term.

During another meeting that month in Kazakhstan between Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Lavrov, the Russian minister inquired about Indian munitions being utilized by Ukrainian forces and expressed concern that some were produced by state-owned Indian companies, as reported by an Indian official with direct knowledge of the discussion.

The official did not disclose Jaishankar's response.

Walter Ladwig, a security expert on South Asia at King's College London, stated that the diversion of a relatively small quantity of ammunition serves a geopolitically beneficial purpose for Delhi. "It enables India to demonstrate to Western partners that it is not 'aligned with Russia' in the Russia-Ukraine conflict," he noted, adding that Moscow holds little sway over Delhi's strategic choices.