"Friendship is friendship, but tobacco is apart" – Modi lied and did not admit that he was manufacturing ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (video)

Formally, Indian shells are supplied to the European Union, but Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has nothing against them going on to Ukraine.

How tells BB.LV, Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers are being diverted to Ukraine by European buyers. New Delhi has no objection to this and is not interfering, despite Moscow's protests, Reuters reports, citing Indian and European government and defense officials and showing an analysis of customs data. Such transfers of ammunition to support Ukraine have been ongoing for over a year.

Indian government and defence industry sources told Reuters that Delhi had produced very little of the ammunition used by Ukraine, with one estimating it to be less than 1% of the total arms Kiev had imported since the war began.

According to a senior Indian official and a former top manager at Yantra India, the state-owned company whose ammunition Ukraine uses, among countries EUsending Indian ammunition to Ukraine, are Italy and the Czech Republic.

Indian officials and defence industry representatives said India was monitoring the situation but had taken no action to curb supplies to Europe. Delhi, long the world's largest arms importer, has been reluctant to do so, Indian sources said. sees a long war in Europe as a good opportunity to develop its nascent arms export sector.

Rajnath Singh, India's defence minister, had earlier said that Defense exports exceeded $2.5 billion last fiscal year and Delhi wants to increase it to $6 billion by 2029.

Reuters notes: Customs records show that three major Indian ammunition makers — Yantra, Munitions India and Kalyani Strategic Systems — exported ammunition components two years before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 for $2.8 million to Italy and the Czech Republic, as well as Spain and Slovenia, where defense contractors have invested heavily in supply chains for Ukraine.

From February 2022 to July 2024, this figure increased to $135.25 million, including finished ammunition, which India started exporting to four countries.

Three Indian officials said the Kremlin had raised the issue at least twice, including during a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart in July.

Lavrov pressed the Ukrainians on the Indian ammunition they were using and complained that some of it was made by state-owned Indian companies, according to an Indian official familiar with the meeting.

Despite military aid packages from the EU and the US, Ukraine still faces critical ammunition shortages – both because of slow deliveries and because of huge needs. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently stated that of the 14 brigades needed, Ukraine was only able to equip four due to a lack of resources.

The media also noted that the Czech Republic is forced to curb its ambitions to supply shells to Ukraine. The initial goal will not be achieved by more than a third unless partner countries contribute more funds. According to the Prague government, Not all countries have paid yet, which is one of the reasons for the reduction in supplies.

Czechoslovak Group, which is supplying ammunition to Ukraine under the Czech initiative, recently revealed that Ammunition for Ukraine is purchased from Turkey.

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