National Security / Russia Confirms Remaining S‑400 Delivery to India in 2026

New Delhi, Sep 8: As New Delhi prepares to host the 18th BRICS Summit this week, defence cooperation is set to dominate the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that the long‑awaited delivery of Russia’s S‑400 Triumf air defence systems to India in 2026 will be a central point of discussion, underscoring the strategic depth of the partnership between the two nations.

“Russia is capable of fulfilling its obligations, and they will be fulfilled. This issue is being mentioned during the conversations of our two leaders,” Peskov told Indian media during a virtual briefing hosted by Sputnik India.

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India signed a $5.43 billion agreement with Russia in 2018 to purchase five S‑400 systems. Two deliveries remain under the contract and are expected to be completed this year.

On March 27, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the acquisition of additional S‑400 systems, underscoring the deepening defence partnership between New Delhi and Moscow.

The Ministry of Defence noted that proposals for the Indian Air Force included procurement of Medium Transport Aircraft, the S‑400 Long Range Surface‑to‑Air Missile System, Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft, and overhaul of Su‑30 aero engine aggregates.

“The S‑400 system will counter enemy long‑range air vectors targeting vital areas, while the Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft will enable undertaking Offensive Counter and Coordinated Air Operations, also providing stealth Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance activities. The overhaul of Su‑30 aero engine and its aggregates will increase the service life of the aircraft and fulfil the operational requirement of the Air Force,” the ministry stated.

Peskov emphasized Russia’s readiness to advance defence cooperation further, highlighting joint production initiatives such as the BrahMos missile programme.

“We are satisfied with our cooperation in the military field and in the technical‑military field with India. It has very rich traditions, and it is a deeply rooted cooperation. We have very good military equipment — some of which is the best in the world — and we are ready to share this equipment with our Indian partners. We have even gone further in this cooperation than just buying and selling: we are producing jointly. As you know, with BrahMos, we are producing missiles jointly. It is now time to think about improving those missiles, adding additional capabilities, and making them more competitive on the market and more effective...” he said.

He added that military cooperation would be an important area of discussion during Putin’s visit, though details would not be disclosed publicly.

“Cooperation in the military field is a very sensitive sphere and, of course, no one would discuss it publicly and openly. But, I would like to assure you that we have lots of issues to be discussed in this context, and all these issues will also be on the agenda during the visit,” Peskov noted.