NEW DELHI: Russia has begun the delivery of S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to India, according to a senior Russian official.
Russia’s Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Dmitry Shugaev told Sputnik news agency that the deliveries are going on as planned.
The development comes as both sides prepare for a visit to India by Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 6 for a bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The supplies of the S-400 air defence system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule,” Shugaev said There was no official comment by the Indian Air Force on the deliveries.
It is learnt that deliveries of some components of the missile systems have started and all key parts are yet to reach India.
In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.
The Biden administration has not yet clarified whether it will impose sanctions on India under the provisions of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for procuring the S-400 missile systems.
The CAATSA, which was brought in 2017, provides for punitive actions against any country engaged in transactions with Russian defence and intelligence sectors.
The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.
The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.
PTI
