India on Thursday dismissed a "misleading" report that said artillery shells manufactured by Indian manufacturers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi had not intervened to stop it.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have seen the Reuters report. It is speculative and misleading. It implies violations by India, where none exist and hence, is inaccurate and mischievous."
Jaiswal said that New Delhi has an "impeccable" track record when it comes to complying with international obligations on the export of military and dual-use items.
"India has been carrying out its defence exports taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation and based on its own robust legal and regulatory framework, which includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria, including end-user obligations and certifications," Jaiswal said.
The media report had said that artillery shells sold by Indian arms manufacturers have been diverted by European buyers to Ukraine, despite objections from Moscow. It added that this trade has occurred for more than a year with New Delhi choosing not to intervene, even after Russia raised concerns.
The report said that the diversion of India-made ammunitions was uncovered through a Reuters analysis of customs data and interviews with several Indian and European government officials, as well as defence industry insiders.
Notably, India has been clear about its arms export regulations, which state that weapons can be only used by the country that purchases them, and unauthorised transfers can result in the termination of future sales. However, customs data and government sources had suggested that this rule has been broken. Violating these export restrictions, it was said that European countries -- especially Italy and the Czech Republic -- have been sending India-made artillery shells to Ukraine.
Indian officials, earlier as well, denied that New Delhi is directly supplying arms to Ukraine. As per tow Indian government sources and two defence industry insiders, only a small percentage of Ukraine's ammunition comes from India.
However, the geopolitical implications of this holds significance in the broader imagery as India maintains a balance between Moscow and Kyiv. While Russia is a key partner, India is also on the path to strengthen relations with the US, which mainly backs Ukraine.
India has asserted its stance that violence cannot pave way for a solution, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that "a solution cannot be found in the battlefield". New Delhi has remained a strong advocate of dialogue and diplomacy as a route to peace settlements.
