Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth visited the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy in St Petersburg during his official visit to Russia, marking another significant engagement aimed at strengthening professional military cooperation between the two countries.
During his visit to the prestigious military institution, General Seth interacted with the academy’s faculty and exchanged views on training methodologies, contemporary military education and the modernisation of artillery. The engagement provided an opportunity for both sides to share experiences and discuss evolving approaches to artillery training and capability development.
In a distinctive ceremonial honour, the Indian Army Chief was also given the opportunity to fire the traditional cannon at the historic Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg.
The visit to the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy formed part of General Seth’s official Russia tour from September 16 to 18, 2026. The Ministry of Defence had earlier said that the Army Chief’s engagements were intended to strengthen the longstanding India-Russia defence partnership and expand military-to-military cooperation, including professional exchanges and training.
General Seth’s interaction at the academy highlighted the role of institutional exchanges in sharing best practices and developing closer links between military training establishments of India and Russia.
During the wider visit, the Army Chief also held engagements with senior Russian military and defence officials, with discussions covering professional military cooperation, training, capability development and avenues for expanding bilateral defence ties.
The St Petersburg engagement further underscored the emphasis being placed by both sides on sustained Army-to-Army interaction and professional military exchanges as part of the broader India-Russia defence relationship.
