New Delhi/Patna: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India on Thursday for a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a visit expected to shape the next phase of the India–Russia strategic partnership. In the lead-up to the talks, Abhay Singh — a Russian legislator of Indian origin — made an unusual appeal to New Delhi: request Russia’s state-of-the-art S-500 air defence system.
Speaking to the media, Singh said India had already seen the effectiveness of the S-400 missile system, which he claimed played a significant role during Operation Sindoor. “The S-400 is excellent, but the S-500 is several steps ahead,” he said. “This is Russia’s most advanced military technology and has not been supplied to any country. If Russia gives it to India, it will be the first in the world — not even China has it.”
Singh, who represents the Kursk region bordering Ukraine and is a member of President Putin’s party, said the S-500 would “take India’s security capabilities to new heights” and further deepen bilateral defence ties. He described Putin’s visit — the Russian leader’s first to India in four years — as a crucial moment that could “inject new energy” into relations between the two countries.
Originally from Patna, Singh moved to the Soviet Union in 1991 to study medicine at Kursk State Medical University. After attempting to practise in India, he returned to Russia, establishing businesses in pharmaceuticals and real estate before entering politics. He was elected as a deputy — equivalent to an MLA — in 2017 and again in 2022.
Calling himself a “son of Bihar,” Singh said “politics is in our DNA,” adding that India should seize the opportunity presented by Putin’s visit to explore a new dimension of defence cooperation.
Indian and Russian officials are expected to discuss defence, energy and trade during the visit, though there has been no official indication that the S-500 system is on the agenda.
