Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday met Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Qingdao, holding wide-ranging discussions on military hardware procurement, upgrades to frontline aircraft, and enhancing defence production partnerships.
The meeting focused on the supply of S-400 air defence systems, urgent upgrades to Su-30 MKI fighter jets, and acceleration in procurement timelines for critical hardware. A statement from the Ministry of Defence called it “one of the most important recent meetings” between the two nations, citing the backdrop of Operation Sindoor and growing emphasis on self-reliant defence production.
Belousov expressed Russia’s support for India in the wake of the “horrendous and cowardly terrorist act” in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on 22 April, which he condemned during the bilateral exchange.
India and Russia, bound by decades of military cooperation, also touched upon counter-terrorism, regional security, and current geopolitical developments. Singh, reflecting on the meeting, wrote on X, “Happy to have met the Defence Minister of Russia, Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao. We had insightful deliberations on boosting India-Russia defence ties.”
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India declined to sign the joint communique at the SCO defence ministers’ meeting, with government sources indicating dissatisfaction over the language of the document. The omission of any reference to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam and the inclusion of incidents in Pakistan prompted the decision, sources said.
Rajnath Singh arrived in Qingdao earlier on Thursday and was received by Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun. The two, along with other SCO counterparts, posed for a group photograph ahead of the day’s deliberations.
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