Army Chief Gen Seth in Russia, meets Dy Defence Minister to deepen ties

Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth visited Russia, holding high-level talks with Deputy Defence Minister General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. The visit focused on deepening military ties, joint capability development, and expanding military-to-military cooperation.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth on Friday visited the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation during his ongoing official visit to Russia, engaging in high-level discussions aimed at deepening military ties between the two nations.

According to the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI), during the visit, General Seth interacted with General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Deputy Minister of Defence of Russia. "The engagement focussed on joint capability development, professional military exchanges and avenues for enhanced military-to-military engagements," ADG PI wrote in a post on X.

As part of his official itinerary, the Army Chief also called on Vinay Kumar, the Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation. The ADG PI further noted that during the meeting, the COAS and the Ambassador "held discussions on issues of India–Russia bilateral cooperation and measures for strengthening Defence ties."

The official visit underscores ongoing strategic defence partnerships and institutional military-to-military exchanges between India and Russia. #GeneralDhirajSeth, #COAS, during his ongoing official visit to Russia, visited Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and interacted with General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Deputy Minister of Defence. The engagement focussed on joint capability development, professional military… pic.twitter.com/R1KEQRnFB6 — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) September 18, 2026

Deepening Military Engagements

Earlier, as India and Russia continue to deepen their military engagements during the visit of COAS General Dhiraj, the two countries held talks to expand the ambit of cooperation in areas such as training engagements and strengthening capability development between the two armies.

Sharing the details in a post on X, ADGPI said that the COAS, during his ongoing official visit to Russia, received a ceremonial Guard of Honour and paid homage at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow. “The COAS also visited the Russian Land Forces Headquarters, where interactions were held on issues of mutual interest, focused on deepening military cooperation, expanding training engagements and strengthening capability development between the two Armies,” the post added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth began an official three-day visit to Russia aimed at further strengthening the longstanding India-Russia defence partnership and military-to-military cooperation.

Strategic Context and Future Itinerary

According to an official release issued by the Ministry of Defence, General Seth is visiting Russia from September 16 to September 18. The visit comes against the backdrop of longstanding military-technical cooperation between India and Russia, which has evolved from a buyer-seller relationship towards joint research, development and production of advanced defence technologies and systems.

The Army Chief will also travel to Saint Petersburg, where he is scheduled to visit the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy and interact with its leadership and faculty.

The Ministry of Defence said the visit "reflects the importance attached by both countries to sustained military diplomacy and Army-to-Army engagement".

The interactions are expected to further deepen military cooperation and reinforce the enduring defence relationship between India and Russia.

Russia remains an important source for India's defence equipment, engines, spare parts and components. (ANI)

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