India joined the Russian-led Zapad-2025 military exercises, sending 65 personnel to the five-day drills, a move that has drawn attention amid strained ties with the United States. Relations between New Delhi and Washington have been tested after the Trump administration last month imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, citing in part India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, a move Washington said indirectly supported Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defence said its personnel, led by a battalion of the renowned Kumaon Regiment, engaged in joint training, tactical drills, and exercises in special arms skills alongside Russian and Belarusian forces.
Russia and Belarus will hold a joint military exercise in September.
The Zapad, or West, 2025 drill will involve over 13,000 troops.
Experts believe that Russia will attack Lithuania in connection with that exercise.
Delhi framed the deployment as part of an effort to “further strengthen defence cooperation and foster camaraderie between India and Russia, thereby reinforcing the spirit of collaboration and mutual trust”.
The manoeuvres brought together around 100,000 troops, backed by nuclear-capable bombers, warships, heavy artillery, 333 aircraft, and 247 naval vessels, including submarines.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, wearing military fatigues, visited the Mulino Training Ground in Nizhny Novgorod to oversee the active phase of the exercises.
“Today we are conducting the final part of the Zapad-2025 strategic exercise,” he said, highlighting the drills’ focus on strengthening defence and demonstrating readiness to counter potential threats.
India was not the only foreign participant. Task forces from Iran, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mali also joined.
US military officials observed the drills for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a cautious warming of ties with Belarus, even as tensions in the region remain high, notably after Poland shot down Russian drones crossing its airspace last week.
India’s participation comes amid heightened US-India tensions over trade and strategic issues. Last month, President Trump imposed hefty tariffs on Indian goods, blaming New Delhi for continuing to buy Russian oil and, in effect, supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Trump also appeared to lament India’s strategic tilt during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, posting on X that India and Russia seemed “lost” to “deepest, darkest China”.
Despite these strains, trade negotiations between the US and India continue. Trump announced that discussions were ongoing to resolve trade barriers, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed the countries’ partnership, writing on X: “India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership.”
PM Modi also thanked Trump personally for his 75th birthday wishes, saying he was “fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights”.
India has previously participated in Zapad exercises, including joint war games with Russia and Belarus prior to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
TASS reported that Zapad-2025 took place across 41 training sites, emphasising both scale and operational complexity. For New Delhi, participation reflects the continuation of longstanding defence ties with Moscow while walking a tightrope with Washington, which sees India as a key counterweight to China in Asia.
