Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, China. The two leaders discussed key issues including the delivery of S-400 missile systems, upgrades to the Su-30 MKI fighter jets, and the fast-tracked procurement of essential military equipment.

According to a press release from India’s Ministry of Defence, the meeting covered a wide range of topics, including current geopolitical developments, cross-border terrorism, and defence collaboration between India and Russia. Belousov reaffirmed the strength of the longstanding Indo-Russian partnership and condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, expressing support for India.

The Defence Ministry described the dialogue as one of the most significant recent meetings between India and Russia, especially in light of Operation Sindoor. The operation has underscored the urgent need to ramp up defence production, particularly in areas like air defence systems, air-to-air missile capabilities, and modernization of aerial platforms. "The supply of S-400 systems, Su-30 MKI upgrades, and quick acquisition of critical defence hardware were key highlights of the discussion," the Ministry noted.

Rajnath Singh shared his thoughts on social media, saying, “Happy to have met the Defence Minister of Russia, Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao. We had insightful deliberations on boosting India-Russia defence ties.” Singh arrived in Qingdao on Thursday for the SCO meeting, where he was received by Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun. Before the main meeting, Singh, Admiral Dong Jun, and other delegates posed for a group photograph.

However, India chose not to sign the joint declaration at the SCO meeting. Sources indicate that the decision was due to the document’s failure to mention the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, while it did refer to incidents in Pakistan. Dissatisfied with the language used in the statement, India declined to endorse the declaration, and no joint communique was issued.