MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. There are no alterations in Russia’s contracts with India on the deliveries of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
"Let me note the implementation of the contracts on the delivery of S-400 systems to India. Here we see no changes and the Indian leadership reaffirms its commitment to these accords," Russia’s top diplomat said at a press conference, following the results of a meeting of foreign ministers from the BRICS association (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) held via a video conference.
Russia and India are consistently developing cooperation in the economic, political, humanitarian, military-technical and healthcare spheres in compliance with the accords reached at the highest level, Lavrov stressed.
New Delhi announced its intention to purchase Russian-made S-400 air defense systems back in 2015. A $5.43 bln contract on the delivery of five regiment sets of S-400 ‘Triumf’ anti-aircraft missile systems was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in October 2018.
Russia’s S-400 ‘Triumf’ (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the latest long-and medium-range surface-to-air missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons and can also be used against ground installations. The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of up to 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km under intensive enemy fire and jamming.