Russia has formally approved a major military logistics agreement with India, giving a strong boost to defence cooperation just days before President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit to New Delhi on December 4–5. The move highlights the deep and steady trust between the two long-standing partners and sets the stage for smoother joint military operations in the years ahead.

The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) pact, originally signed in February, received approval this week from Russia’s State Duma. The agreement establishes a clear framework for both nations to support each other’s military platforms—ranging from warships and aircraft to troops—through refuelling, repairs, supplies, and technical maintenance. This makes combined training exercises, disaster relief activities, and other joint missions far easier to coordinate, removing logistical hurdles that often slow down such efforts.

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin emphasised that the pact strengthens what he described as “strategic and comprehensive” ties between India and Russia. Beyond the formal paperwork, the pact also enables access to each other’s ports and airspace, improving the practicality and efficiency of real-time military cooperation.

For India, the agreement offers significant strategic advantages. It provides easier access to Russian military facilities in the Arctic region, supporting the country’s growing interest in polar research and expanding naval reach from Vladivostok to Murmansk. It also ensures timely maintenance for India’s Russian-origin defence systems such as Sukhoi fighter jets, T-90 tanks, and S-400 air defence units—equipment that forms a substantial portion of India’s military inventory.

Russia, in return, gains an important logistical foothold in the Indian Ocean, a region of increasing geopolitical competition. This access allows Moscow to project influence without the need for costly permanent bases, a valuable advantage as it faces continued Western sanctions. Putin’s upcoming visit is expected to feature talks on additional defence deals, including potential new S-400 regiments and discussions around the Su-57 stealth fighter programme. While some deliveries have been delayed due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict, both nations remain committed to advancing long-term defence cooperation.

The approval of the RELOS pact fits into the broader framework of India–Russia strategic engagement. Bilateral trade is targeting $100 billion by 2030, and both countries are working to insulate their cooperation from external pressures, including US sanctions. With India also maintaining similar logistics agreements with partners like the United States and Japan, the RELOS pact further strengthens India’s diversified defence strategy in an increasingly complex Indo-Pacific landscape. As President Putin prepares to arrive in New Delhi, the approval of this logistics pact sends a strong signal: India and Russia are ready to elevate their defence partnership to a new and more practical level.