Indian Ammunition Reaches Ukraine Via Europe, Russia Protests

Indian-made artillery shells have been diverted to Ukraine by European buyers, despite objections from Russia, and India has not intervened to stop the transfers, according to officials from both India and Europe, as well as customs data reviewed by Reuters.

Munitions have been supplied to support Ukraine's defence against Russia for over a year, sources said. Indian arms export laws restrict the use of weapons to the original purchaser, who risks losing future supplies if unauthorized transfers are made. Moscow has raised concerns, including during a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart in July, Indian officials reported.

Indian and defence industry officials stated that Delhi’s contribution to Ukraine’s munitions was minimal, with one official estimating it to be under 1 per cent of Kyiv's total arms imports since the conflict began.

Italy and the Czech Republic, along with Spain and Slovenia, have been sending Indian munitions to Ukraine, according to European and Indian officials. A former executive of India’s state-owned Yantra India confirmed that Yantra’s munitions were part of the shipments. While India is monitoring the situation, it has not stopped the flow of munitions to Europe.

India's arms trade has grown against the backdrop of closer ties with Washington, Ukraine’s main security backer, and increased defence exports, despite its strong relationship with Russia. Ukraine, facing a shortage of artillery, has received these Indian munitions as part of European-led efforts to supply arms.

Indian arms exports, worth USD 3 billion between 2018 and 2023, have spiked in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Italy and the Czech Republic have been major buyers, with Indian ammunition sales to these countries rising dramatically since the war started. Experts believe that India's growing export ambitions have contributed to violations of end-user agreements.

Among the companies involved, Italy’s Meccanica per l’Elettronica e Servomeccanismi (MES) is a significant buyer of Indian-made artillery shells, which it refills with explosives before supplying them to Ukraine. Other Western firms lack production capacity and rely on India for munitions.

Customs records show that Yantra India shipped USD 35 million worth of 155mm shells to MES between 2022 and 2024. UK-based Dince Hill, with links to MES, also supplied shells to Ukraine in 2024. Meanwhile, Spain authorised the transfer of Indian-made ammunition from Czech Defence Systems to Ukraine.

Despite concerns raised by Russia, India appears to be taking a pragmatic approach, seeing arms sales as an opportunity to grow its defense sector while managing its relationships with both Russia and the West.