Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov in Moscow Dec. 10, to expand military cooperation, with Singh deliberately saying India is following collaboration with Russia on defense, despite immense pressure on New Delhi against it.
Singh was quoted by the Russian Defense Ministry as stating, “despite the geopolitical challenges and immense public and private pressure on India, India has made a conscious decision to not only continue close contacts with Russia but also to deepen and expand our cooperation. We will always stand together with our Russian colleagues,” not only bilaterally, but also on such multilateral platforms as the BRICS, SCO, and G20.
On Dec. 9, Singh presided over a commissioning ceremony for a new multi-role, stealth, guided- missile frigate, the INS Tushil, built by Russia for the Indian Navy. This is the seventh Project 1135.6 frigate to join India’s naval forces. All six previous frigates, built at Russian shipyards in the past decade, are in service in the Indian Navy, reports RT.
