Russia-Ukraine War: According to news agency Reuters, Ukraine is using Indian-made artillery shells against Russia. Indian arms manufacturers sold these shells to European countries, which were later shipped to Ukraine. Reuters report says that despite Russia’s objection, India did not intervene to stop the trade.
Reuters’ report, based on sources and customs data, says that these shells have been transferred for the security of Ukraine for the past one year. Whereas according to Indian arms export rules, these shells can be used only by the countries that have purchased them. India can stop future sales of these shells if they are transferred to other countries.
What did India say on the Indian shells that reached Ukraine
The report quoted three Indian officials as saying that Russia has raised this issue at least twice. This includes a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in July. The Reuters report said that the Indian and Russian foreign ministries have not answered questions related to this issue. However, in January, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has not sold shells for Ukraine’s artillery.
How many shells from India reached Ukraine
The report said that at present, Indian weapons have been used in very small quantities in the Ukraine war. An official estimates that this is less than one percent of all the ammunition Ukraine has exported. The report could not confirm whether European countries have donated or sold these shells. Countries supplying Indian war material to Ukraine include Italy and the Czech Republic. These countries are also supplying weapons to Ukraine apart from the European Union.
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