General Dhiraj Seth Begins First India Army Chief Visit to Russia in Nearly 8 Years

New Delhi / Moscow, 16 September 2026 — Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth began a three-day official visit to Russia on Wednesday, in the first trip to Moscow by a serving Indian Army chief in nearly eight years. The tour, from 16 to 18 September, is aimed at reinforcing defence ties and maintaining military-to-military engagement between India and Russia at a time when both sides continue to manage a long-standing but evolving security partnership.

The last serving Army chief to visit Russia was the late General Bipin Rawat, who travelled there in October 2018. General Seth, who took charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2026, is expected to use the visit to deepen professional contacts with the Russian military and defence establishment rather than to announce any immediate procurement outcome.

According to the Ministry of Defence, General Seth will be accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour in Moscow and will pay homage at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He is scheduled to hold talks 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.

The Army chief will also visit the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow and meet senior officials of the Russian Ministry of Defence. Among those he is set to interact with is Vasily Sergeyevich Osmakov, the Deputy Minister of Defence responsible for defence industry and procurement. The ministry said these engagements would allow both sides to exchange views on contemporary military developments and identify further avenues for defence cooperation.

From Moscow, General Seth will travel to Saint Petersburg to visit the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy, where he will interact with the institution’s leadership and faculty. The ministry described the itinerary as a reflection of the importance India and Russia attach to sustained military diplomacy and Army-to-Army engagement.

Defence ties and the equipment agenda

The visit comes with added significance because Russia remains one of India’s most important suppliers 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 2021–25 period, accounting for 40 per cent of the country’s weapons imports.

While the official statement does not spell out a procurement agenda, Indian reporting has suggested that the upkeep and sustainment of Russian-origin equipment already in service is likely to be high on the list of discussion points. Large parts of the Army’s Armoured Corps and Mechanised Infantry continue to operate Russian-origin platforms, even as India pushes ahead with greater indigenisation in defence production.

Spare parts, supplies and upgrades for existing systems are among the practical issues expected to be discussed. Russia has also offered newer platforms, including the Pantsir-S1M short-range air-defence system and an updated version of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, along with proposals linked to India’s Future Ready Combat Vehicle programme. India and Russia also remain co-developers of the BrahMos missile.

For now, the ministry has framed the trip primarily as an exercise in military diplomacy and professional exchange, not as a contract-signing mission. The emphasis is on continuity in a relationship that has historically combined equipment support, training cooperation and broader strategic coordination.

General Seth’s background

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, and is the third Chief of the Army Staff from the 2nd Lancers and the seventh from the Armoured Corps. He is also the first Armoured Corps officer to hold the appointment since General Shankar Roychowdhury in 1997.

His command experience includes leading 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. Before becoming Army chief, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff from 1 April 2026.

General Seth is a second-generation officer. His father, Lieutenant General (Retd) Krishna Mohan Seth, also commanded XXI Corps.

India–Russia military-technical cooperation has, over the decades, moved from a largely buyer–seller arrangement to one that also includes joint research, development and production. The two countries continue to conduct military exercises across domains, and the current visit is intended to keep Army-to-Army channels active as India diversifies its suppliers and expands domestic defence manufacturing.

Officials in New Delhi have presented the trip as a continuation of that long-standing relationship, with the practical focus on training, interoperability and the maintenance of equipment that still accounts for a substantial share of the Army’s inventory. The visit concludes on 18 September.