Indian and Russian armies hold counter-terrorism drills (VIDEO)
India and Russia are conducting the “Indra-2025” joint military exercises, with a focus on counter-terrorism operations, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday
The drills began last week in the Indian desert and border state of Rajasthan with a ceremony attended by senior military officials, including Major General Andrey Kozlov from Russia and the commander of the Gandiv Division, Major General Sanjaya Chandra Kandpal from the Indian side.
“The Indra-2025 exercise is a testament to our shared commitment to global peace and security,” Kandpal said. “Over the next two weeks, we will engage in intense training, simulating complex modern conflict scenarios. By combining our strengths, we aim to build a future where peace prevails.”
The drills will focus on enhancing counter-terrorism tactics, joint tactical operations, communication strategies, and command and control of combined forces, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
❗️🇷🇺-🇮🇳Forces Kick Off "Indra-2025" Ground Exercises at Bikaner’s Field Firing Range Focused on mastering counter-terrorism skills, the Russian-Indian joint drills run until October 15.#Indra2025📹: Russian MoD pic.twitter.com/ewyFFPc2zx
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) October 6, 2025
Around 250 Russian military personnel are participating alongside Indian troops in the exercises.
Moscow and New Delhi have stated in the past that the joint exercises are neither aimed at any particular country nor linked to current global tensions.
India and Russia hold annual defense meetings, alternating between Moscow and New Delhi, to review progress on ongoing projects and discuss other aspects of cooperation.
The military-technical partnership between the two nations has grown significantly, moving beyond a simple buyer-seller relationship to include collaborative research, joint design development, and co-production of advanced military systems.
