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Russia’s State Duma is preparing to ratify the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) with India, a move expected ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi on December 4–5 for the 23rd annual summit. The ratification would mark one of the most significant upgrades to military cooperation between the two nations in recent years.
Signed in Moscow on February 18 this year by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and former Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, the agreement has now been uploaded to the Duma’s ratification system. Once approved, RELOS will allow both countries’ armed forces to access each other’s bases, ports, and airfields for refuelling, maintenance, replenishment, and logistical support.
RELOS Will Remove Operational Friction and Expand Joint Capability
Analysts say RELOS removes longstanding procedural barriers that slowed coordination during joint activities. And, logistics arrangements of this nature “dramatically simplify movement, reduce turnaround times, and allow militaries to operate together with far greater flexibility.”
India and Russia conduct several exercises annually, and RELOS will ensure smoother support for these activities, as well as humanitarian missions and disaster relief operations.
Arctic Cooperation Viewed as a Key Emerging Dimension
One of the most notable implications of the pact is its potential use in the Arctic, an area where Russia has extensive military and energy infrastructure.
Experts highlight that India’s growing interest in Arctic shipping routes, reinforced by its LNG imports from Russia’s Yamal Peninsula, makes RELOS particularly relevant. They note that the pact “opens the door for Indian naval assets to operate more confidently in northern waters.”
Indian platforms such as the Talwar-class frigates and the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, which are capable of functioning in cold-weather conditions, could benefit from access to Russian northern bases for rest, resupply, and repairs during extended deployments or exercises.
Russia Gains Access in the Indian Ocean
The agreement is mutually beneficial. For Russia, access to Indian facilities would strengthen its reach in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), an increasingly strategic zone where multiple global powers are expanding their presence. And, such access would allow Russia to diversify its maritime deployments and maintain a more sustained regional footprint, while also complementing India’s efforts to maintain stability in key sea lanes.
RELOS Adds Russia to India’s Growing Network of Logistics Partners
India has steadily expanded its network of logistics-support agreements over the past decade. Countries with which India already has such arrangements include: the United States, France, Australia, Oman, Japan, and the UK, among others.
According to a former naval officer, “each new agreement broadens India’s operational reach and strengthens partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”
Russia’s inclusion, he notes, is particularly significant due to the longstanding defence and technological cooperation between the two countries.
A Signal of Long-Term Strategic Commitment
Strategic analysts view the impending ratification as a strong indication that both New Delhi and Moscow intend to deepen their defence ties despite evolving geopolitical dynamics.
Once ratified, the pact is expected to become one of the central pillars of India–Russia military engagement in the coming decade.
Huma Siddiqui
