New Delhi / Moscow, 16 September 2026 — General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of the Army Staff, embarked on Wednesday on a three-day official visit to Russia, the first such tour by a serving Indian Army chief in nearly eight years. The visit, scheduled from 16 to 18 September, is intended to strengthen the longstanding defence partnership and military-to-military cooperation between India and Russia.
The last serving Indian Army chief to visit Russia was the late General Bipin Rawat, who travelled there in October 2018. General Seth assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2026.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the Army chief will receive a ceremonial Guard of Honour in Moscow and pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He will then hold discussions with Colonel General Andrei Nikolayevich Mordvichev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces, on issues of mutual interest, including professional military cooperation and training.
General Seth will also visit the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow and interact with senior officials of the Russian Ministry of Defence. Among them is Vasily Sergeyevich Osmakov, Deputy Minister of Defence, who oversees defence industry and procurement. The Ministry said the engagements would provide an opportunity to exchange perspectives on contemporary military developments and to explore avenues for enhancing defence cooperation.
As part of the itinerary, the Chief of the Army Staff will travel to Saint Petersburg to visit the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy and interact with its leadership and faculty. The Ministry described the visit as a reflection of the importance both countries attach to sustained military diplomacy and Army-to-Army engagement.
Defence inventory and the likely agenda
The visit carries particular weight because Russia remains one of India’s principal sources of military hardware. A Stockholm International Peace Research Institute assessment released in March placed Russia at the top of India’s arms suppliers for the period 2021–25, accounting for 40 per cent of the country’s weapons imports.
Indian reporting has indicated that discussions on the sustainment of Russian-origin equipment already in service are expected to feature prominently. Large segments of the Army’s Armoured Corps and Mechanised Infantry continue to operate Russian-origin platforms, even as New Delhi pursues greater indigenisation. Issues likely to arise include spare parts, supplies, and upgrades of existing systems. Russia has also offered newer platforms, including the Pantsir-S1M short-range air-defence system and an updated variant of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, alongside proposals linked to India’s Future Ready Combat Vehicle programme. India and Russia have co-developed the BrahMos missile.
The official statement does not list specific procurement outcomes. It frames the visit as an exercise in military diplomacy and professional exchange rather than as a contract-signing mission.
Profile of the visiting Army chief
General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, is an Armoured Corps officer commissioned into the 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) on 20 December 1986 from the Indian Military Academy. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He is the third Chief of the Army Staff from the 2nd Lancers and the seventh from the Armoured Corps — the first Armoured Corps officer to hold the appointment since General Shankar Roychowdhury in 1997.
His command appointments have included an armoured regiment, the 98 Armoured Brigade, a counter-insurgency force in Jammu and Kashmir, XXI Corps (Sudarshan Chakra Corps), Delhi Area, South Western Command and Southern Command. He served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff from 1 April 2026 before taking over as Army chief. He is a second-generation officer; his father, Lieutenant General (Retd) Krishna Mohan Seth, also commanded XXI Corps.
A relationship under transition
India–Russia military-technical cooperation has evolved over decades from a largely buyer–seller arrangement toward joint research, development and production. The two sides continue to conduct joint military exercises across domains. The present visit, coming early in General Seth’s tenure, is intended to keep Army-to-Army channels active at a time when India is simultaneously diversifying suppliers and expanding domestic defence manufacturing.
Officials in New Delhi have presented the tour as continuity rather than a departure: an effort to maintain a long-standing partnership while addressing practical questions of training, interoperability, and the upkeep of equipment that still forms a substantial part of the Army’s inventory.
The visit concludes on 18 September.
