India on Thursday rejected a media report which had claimed that New Delhi’s defence exports have been diverted to Ukraine by the European customers. The Ministry of External Affairs also termed the report by Reuters news agency as “speculative and misleading”.
"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," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
The news agency reported that 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.
The report, which cited 11 Indian and European government and defence industry officials, also claimed that the transfer of munitions to support Ukraine's defence against Russia has occurred for more than a year.
India’s defence export regulations limit the use of weaponry to the declared purchaser and if the purchaser is engaged in unauthorised transfers, the future sales will be terminated.
Jaiswal maintained that India has an impeccable track record of compliance with international obligations on the export of military and dual-use items.
"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," he said.
The media report claimed that Russia had raised the issue on at least two occasions, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar.
Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in a conflict since February 2022 and New Delhi has been walking a tightrope, maintaining that the issue should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited both the countries and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.