3000 Troops, 10 Aircraft, 5 Ships Stationed On Either Side: How India, Russia Scaled New Heights In Defence Ties
According to Russia’s state-run news agency Sputnik, the five-year pact allows both nations to deploy up to 5 warships, 10 military aircraft and as many as 3,000 troops on each other’s territory at any given time. The arrangement can also be renewed beyond its initial term.
- Defence News
- 3 min read
New Delhi: In a landmark agreement indicating strengthening of ties between India and Russia, both countries have agreed to station up to 3000 troops on each other’s territory. This comes after the implementation of the Indo-Russian Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS), which India and Russia signed in 2025.
Finalised in Moscow, the agreement is aimed at deepening defence ties and expanding logistical cooperation between the two countries. According to Russia’s state-run news agency Sputnik, the five-year pact allows both nations to deploy up to 5 warships, 10 military aircraft and as many as 3,000 troops on each other’s territory at any given time. The arrangement can also be renewed beyond its initial term.
How Will It Help India
The agreement significantly broadens India’s military footprint, particularly in the Arctic, a region that is rapidly gaining strategic importance amid growing Russian and Chinese activity. Under the pact, India will gain access to key Russian ports such as Murmansk and Severomorsk. On the other side, Russia is expected to benefit from Indian logistical support in the Indian Ocean region. Indian naval facilities could provide Russian vessels with refuelling, maintenance, spare parts and other essential supplies.
The pact also lays down the framework for the temporary deployment of military personnel, aircraft and naval assets, while detailing the technical, logistical and operational support that each side will extend to the other.
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Has India Signed Similar Agreements With Other Nations?
RELOS is not the first such agreement India has signed with another nation. India has a similar agreement with the United States called LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement). This pact allows both India and US access to each other's military facilities for refuelling, supplies and logistics support.
How Is RELOS Different
RELOS is different from LEMOA, as the former one allows both countries to station troops. It also allows exchange of goods if needed. Cost reimbursement, that amounts to bartering instead of payment, is also possible under RELOS.
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How Deep Are India-Russia Defence Ties
Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) mentioned that Russia was the largest arms supplier of equipment and systems for the Indian Armed Forces, as of 2025. Between 2020 and 2024, India was the world's second-largest arms importer. Russia contributed to around 36 per cent of the country's total defence purchase during this period.