Army chief Dhiraj Seth heads to Russia amid push to deepen defense ties

Chief of Army Staff Dhiraj Seth. Photo file. | Photo credit: ANI

Chief of the General Staff General Dhiraj Seth will travel to Russia on Wednesday (15 September 2026) for an official visit, during which he is expected to hold talks with the Russian military leadership on a range of issues, including new military platforms offered by Moscow.

Sources in the defense establishment said General Seth is expected to meet senior military leadership during the visit. The discussions are expected to provide an opportunity to review the ongoing defense cooperation between the two countries from a land force perspective.

A key issue likely to figure in the discussions is the availability of spare parts and supplies for the Russian-origin equipment currently operated by the Indian Army, the sources said.

Modernization of military systems

General Seth is also expected to continue ongoing discussions on upgrading and modernizing existing systems, in addition to exploring cooperation in new military platforms and technologies offered by Russia.

The visit comes amid efforts by India and Russia to deepen defense cooperation and gradually expand relations beyond the traditional buyer-seller framework. Both sides are increasingly focusing on joint production and technological cooperation.

Published – 15 Sep 2026 21:07 IST