Indian-made artillery shells have been making their way to Ukraine via European customers, causing tensions between India and Russia. Despite Moscow’s objections, New Delhi has not taken any steps to halt the arms trade, according to multiple government and defense sources as well as customs data reviewed by Reuters. This ammunition transfer has been ongoing for more than a year, as Indian arms makers sell to European nations, some of which have redirected the munitions to Ukraine to bolster its defense against Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Indian arms export rules stipulate that weaponry can only be used by the declared purchaser, and unauthorized transfers could lead to future sales being cut off. Despite this, no action has been taken by India, even after Russia raised the issue in meetings with Indian officials, including one between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart in July.
Neither Russia nor India’s foreign and defense ministries responded to requests for comment, but an Indian foreign ministry spokesperson stated in January that India had not sold artillery shells to Ukraine. However, sources confirmed that while the volume of Indian ammunition used by Ukraine is small—estimated at under 1% of the total Kyiv has imported—it has contributed to Ukraine’s war effort.
European countries like Italy and the Czech Republic have been instrumental in supplying Indian-made ammunition to Ukraine. These countries have reportedly been purchasing munitions from Indian companies like Yantra India and Munitions India, filling the shells with explosives, and transferring them to Ukraine.
India’s longstanding relationship with Russia, which has supplied more than 60% of its arms imports, remains intact despite this development. Yet, India is also working to expand its arms export market, viewing the extended conflict in Europe as an opportunity to grow its defense sector. In the past fiscal year, Indian defense exports reached $2.5 billion, and the government aims to increase that to $6 billion by 2029.
Commercially available customs records show a surge in Indian munitions exports to Europe since the start of the war, with Yantra India shipping $35 million worth of artillery shells to Italy alone between February 2022 and July 2024. These arms transfers, while small, demonstrate India’s ability to navigate both its Western partnerships and its historical ties to Russia, highlighting a delicate geopolitical balancing act.