India strengthens its navy with a new Russian-made frigate

On Monday, the Indian Defense Minister participated in the commissioning ceremony of his country’s newest warship in a Russian shipyard, praising an “important stage” in relations with an old ally in the field of defense.
The entry ceremony of the newest multi-role frigate equipped with guided missiles was held in the Russian port of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea.
“The ship is a testament to India’s growing naval power and an affirmation of the long-standing bilateral relationship with Russia,” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said on X.

Russian and Indian technologies

The Ministry of Defense in New Delhi explained last week that the “Tuchel” (Shield) frigate weighs 3,900 tons and is equipped with “advanced Russian and Indian technologies.”
It was reported that the ship would arrive in India “as its combat readiness approaches” after successfully testing all the Russian equipment on board.
Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, India has avoided taking sides publicly and provided humanitarian support to Kiev without explicitly condemning the Russian attack.

Stop fighting

In October during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi renewed his calls for a quick halt to the fighting during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
Putin praised the “distinctive strategic partnership” between Russia and India and pledged to strengthen relations.
Narendra Modi visited Kiev in August and Moscow in July to encourage talks between the two sides, after his country offered to mediate the dispute.