Indian troops have participated in the Russian-led Zapad-2025 military drills, Russian state agency TASS said on Tuesday, highlighting Moscow’s close ties with New Delhi, whose growing ties with the United States have been strained by the imposition of hefty tariffs by President Donald Trump.
The Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed that it had sent 65 armed forces personnel to participate in the five-day military exercise, a theatrical demonstration of firepower conducted jointly by Russia and Belarus to test their combat readiness in the event of an invasion.
The manoeuvres, which featured 100,000 troops in a display of might that included nuclear-capable bombers and warships, took place at a time of heightened tension with NATO countries, coming just days after the downing of Russian drones in Poland last week.
“Today we are conducting the final part of the Zapad 2025 strategic exercise,” said Putin, wearing a military uniform.
India was not the only foreign power involved, with “task forces and military contingents” from Iran, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Mali also joining in, TASS reported, citing the Kremlin.
But India’s participation, led by a battalion of the highly respected Kumaon Regiment and aimed at strengthening “the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust” with Russia, will have raised eyebrows amid signs that the US may be losing a key ally in Asia, seen as an important counterweight to China.
Strains emerged between the two countries last month after the Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of fuelling Moscow’s deadly attacks on Ukraine with its purchases of Russian oil.
Earlier this month, Trump seemed to confirm the rift, posting on social media that both India and Russia appeared to have been “lost” to “deepest, darkest China” as the three countries cozied up at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
But last week, Trump announced on X that India and the US are continuing negotiations to address trade barriers between the two nations. He previously accused India of imposing high tariffs on US goods.
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