Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth Visits Russia’s Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy, Fires Traditional Cannon in St Petersburg
Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth visited the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy in St Petersburg on Saturday as part of his official tour of Russia, using the stop to deepen professional military engagement between the Indian and Russian armies.
At the prestigious artillery training institution, General Seth met the academy’s faculty and discussed training methodologies, contemporary military education and the modernisation of artillery. The interaction was aimed at exchanging ideas on how military training establishments can adapt to changing operational requirements and improve artillery capability development.
The visit also carried a ceremonial element. The Indian Army Chief was given the opportunity to fire the traditional cannon at the historic Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg, a customary honour associated with the city’s military heritage.
The academy visit was one part of General Seth’s official Russia engagement, which ran from September 16 to 18, 2026. According to the Ministry of Defence, the purpose of the tour was to strengthen the longstanding India-Russia defence partnership and expand military-to-military cooperation, including professional exchanges and training.
General Seth’s discussions at the academy reflected the importance both countries attach to institutional exchanges between their military education establishments. Such interactions are seen as a way to share best practices, compare training approaches and build closer links between the two armies’ professional structures.
During the wider visit, the Army Chief also met senior Russian military and defence officials. Those engagements covered professional military cooperation, training, capability development and possible avenues for further expanding bilateral defence ties.
The St Petersburg stop added to the broader emphasis on sustained Army-to-Army contact, with both sides continuing to treat professional exchanges as an important part of the India-Russia defence relationship.
