Indian armed forces participated in the Russian-led Zapad-2025 military exercises, Russian state agency TASS reported Tuesday, underscoring Moscow’s continued military ties with New Delhi even as India’s relationship with the United States remains under strain following President Donald Trump’s imposition of high tariffs on Indian imports.
India’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the deployment of 65 personnel to the drills.
The exercises, conducted jointly by Russia and Belarus, included rehearsals for launching Russian tactical nuclear weapons. These drills featured the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, first test-fired during Russia’s war in Ukraine last year.
India’s involvement is not unprecedented. In 2021, ahead of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, New Delhi sent troops to participate in anti-terror and conventional operations in Russia’s Volgograd region.
However, the current drills come at a time of heightened tension between India and the United States over New Delhi’s continued oil purchases from Russia, a move that Washington argues helps finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Europe, meanwhile, remains uneasy about perceived Russian provocations. Last week, Poland and NATO reported intercepting Russian drones in Polish airspace.
The Belarusian Ministry of Defence confirmed that Russian tactical nuclear weapons were included in the five-day exercises, along with the Oreshnik ballistic missile, which Moscow first deployed against Ukraine on November 21 last year.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko defended the inclusion of nuclear elements. “We are practising everything there. They [the West] know this too; we are not hiding it,” he told state media outlet BelTA. “From firing conventional small arms to nuclear warheads. Again, we must be able to do all this. Otherwise, why would they be on Belarusian territory?”
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise appearance at the drills in the Nizhny Novgorod region, observing alongside Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and other officials. Wearing military attire, Putin said the exercises involved 100,000 troops and were aimed at preparing to defend the “union state” of Russia and Belarus.
The United States confirmed on Tuesday that its military observers had attended the exercises in Belarus the previous day, following an invitation from Moscow. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described such observation as standard practice in light of recent bilateral engagements.
In addition to Indian troops, TASS reported participation from Iran, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mali.
India’s presence at Zapad-2025 highlights its delicate balancing act between long-standing defence ties with Russia and a deepening strategic partnership with the US.
During the Cold War, India maintained non-alignment while sourcing most of its defence equipment from the Soviet Union. Though India has diversified its arms imports over the past two decades, much of its arsenal remains of Russian origin.
The latest participation, involving India’s Kumaon Regiment, was described as a gesture to reinforce “the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust” with Russia. However, it may alarm Washington, which views New Delhi as a key Asian ally in its efforts to counterbalance China.
Tensions with Washington have been escalating. Last month, the Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of indirectly supporting Russia’s war efforts through its continued oil trade with Moscow.
Despite the trade friction, Trump last week announced ongoing negotiations with India to address these barriers. On Tuesday, he marked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday with a congratulatory call. Modi thanked the US president and referred to him once again as a “friend”, a term he previously used before relations cooled.
Iran also reportedly took part in Zapad-2025, though official confirmation remains pending. Tehran has become one of Moscow’s closest military allies, supplying Shahed drones and, according to Western intelligence, ballistic missiles used in Ukraine.
This year, Iran and Russia formalised their alignment with a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, signalling deeper cooperation across military and other sectors.
Following Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, the two countries launched a joint naval drill in the Caspian Sea. The conflict escalated into a 12-day war, during which the United States entered the fray by striking an Iranian nuclear facility with bunker-busting bombs.
Source: Al Jazeera
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