PM Modi Set To Visit Russia Next Month, Says Putin's Aide

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Russia next month, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday.

Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs aide, Yuri Ushakov, said that the Indian Prime Minister's visit was being prepared but did not commit to a date. Mr Ushakov said the date will be announced jointly later.

However, there is no confirmation by the Indian side on the possible visit by PM Modi, who last visited Russia in 2019.

The visit is being planned for the annual India-Russia summit.

Putin was sworn-in as the President of Russia for the fifth consecutive time in May this year, while Narendra Modi too took the oath as Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term on June 9.

If the visit takes place, it will be PM Modi's first trip to Russia since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said two more Indian nationals serving with the Russian Army were killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, taking the number of such deaths to four.

According to reports, around 200 Indian nationals were recruited as security helpers in the Russian military. New Delhi has demanded a "verified stop" to further recruitment of Indian nationals by the Russian Army.

A longstanding ally of Russia, India has shied away from explicit condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine.

New Delhi has even ramped up the purchase of Russian crude despite initial pressure from the US, saying such a move is required to control domestic oil prices.

President Putin last visited New Delhi in 2021 for the annual India-Russia Summit, which hasn't been held in the past two years.

The two leaders last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at Samarkand in Uzbekistan in September 2022, when he impressed upon him to follow the path of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict.