The sanctions, which prevent Russia from obtaining Western components for the production of weapons, have become the reason for the threat of non-fulfillment of contracts that Russia signed with India. The problems with the supply of weapons are reported by the Economic Times, citing the leadership of the Indian Air Force.
Problems, in particular, arose with the shipment to India of five S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems (ZRS), the contract for the supply of which was signed back in 2018. The amount of the contract is $5.4 billion, Russia has committed to fulfill it by the end of 2024.
As a senior representative of the Indian Air Force told the publication, a large supply from Russia, which was supposed to be this year, was canceled. He said that a written notification had been received from the Russian side that the deliveries were being delayed. In addition, there were problems with the supply of spare parts for military aircraft, which India purchased from Russia. In this regard, the Ministry of Defense of India had to cut the budget allocated this year for the modernization of weapons, said the representative of the Air Force.
In mid-March, the annual report of the Stockholm Peace Defense Institute (SIPRI) stated that from 2013 to 2022, arms exports from Russia fell by 31%. Russia's share in world arms exports fell from 22% to 16%. At the same time, the French increased their share from 7.1% to 11%.
Although the top three buyers of Russian weapons look stable – India, China and Egypt – Delhi's share has also declined significantly. Russian arms exports to India fell by 37%, while arms exports to China increased by 39% and to Egypt by 44%.