Artillery shells produced by Indian arms manufacturers have been diverted by European buyers to Ukraine, despite Indian export regulations and protests from Moscow, according to eleven government and defense industry sources from India and Europe, as well as a Reuters analysis of customs data.
For over a year, munitions have been transferred to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia, according to the sources and customs data. Indian arms export rules stipulate that weapons should only be used by the declared purchaser, who could face future sales bans if unauthorized transfers occur.
The Kremlin has raised concerns about this issue on at least two occasions, including during a July meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, three Indian officials reported. This report by Reuters is the first to reveal the details of these ammunition transfers. Neither the Russian nor Indian foreign and defense ministries responded to inquiries. In January, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated at a press conference that India had not sent or sold artillery shells to Ukraine.
Two Indian government officials and two defense industry sources informed Reuters that India’s contribution to the ammunition used by Ukraine is minimal, with one official estimating it to be less than 1% of the total arms imported by Kyiv since the conflict began. Reuters could not confirm whether these munitions were resold or donated to Ukraine by the European customers.
Italy and the Czech Republic are among the European countries sending Indian munitions to Ukraine, according to officials from Spain and India, as well as a former executive of Yantra India, a state-owned company whose munitions are being used by Ukraine. The Czech Republic is leading an initiative to supply Kyiv with artillery shells from outside the EU.
An Indian official confirmed that Delhi is closely monitoring the situation, but, along with a defense industry executive with direct knowledge of the transfers, stated that India has taken no action to curb the supply to Europe. Most of the 20 individuals interviewed by Reuters requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
The defense ministries of Ukraine, Italy, Spain, and the Czech Republic did not respond to requests for comment. India and the U.S., Ukraine’s main security supporter, have strengthened defense and diplomatic ties recently, driven by concerns over China, which both nations see as a primary rival. At the same time, India maintains strong relations with Russia, its top arms supplier, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declined to join the Western sanctions against Moscow.
India, historically the world’s largest arms importer, views the ongoing war in Europe as an opportunity to boost its emerging arms export sector, according to six Indian officials familiar with the government’s stance. Ukraine, struggling to fend off a Russian offensive near the logistics hub of Pokrovsk in the east, faces a severe shortage of artillery ammunition.
The White House declined to comment, while the U.S. State Department referred questions about India’s arms exports to the Indian government. India exported just over $3 billion worth of arms between 2018 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated at an August 30 conference that defense exports exceeded $2.5 billion in the last fiscal year, and Delhi aims to raise that figure to around $6 billion by 2029.
