SOURCE: AFI
In a significant step toward deepening their decades-long strategic partnership, Russia and India have signed the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS), a defence logistics deal aimed at enhancing coordination in military exercises, disaster relief, and joint operations. The agreement was formalized following a meeting between Russian Deputy Defense Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin and India’s Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, as announced by Russia’s Ministry of Defence on February 19, 2025. This pact marks a milestone in the military cooperation between the two nations, reinforcing their commitment to a “particularly privileged strategic partnership.”
The RELOS agreement is designed to streamline logistical support between the armed forces of Russia and India, facilitating smoother access to each other’s military facilities for fuel, rations, spare parts, and berthing during peacetime and wartime operations. Russia’s Ministry of Defence underscored the pact’s importance, stating, “The parties noted the importance of the signed document for further interaction in the military sphere and confirmed their focus on consistently strengthening cooperation in the spirit of a particularly privileged strategic partnership.” This reflects a mutual intent to elevate operational efficiency and interoperability, particularly in joint military exercises and humanitarian or disaster relief missions.
The agreement, valid for an initial five-year term with automatic renewal unless terminated, mirrors similar logistics pacts India has signed with nations like the United States (LEMOA, 2016), Japan, Australia, and France. For Russia, it complements its recalibrated Asian strategy, balancing ties with India amid growing military alignments with China and North Korea. The signing of RELOS comes after years of negotiations, with Russia approving the draft in June 2024, highlighting the deliberate pace of aligning strategic priorities.
One of the standout features of RELOS is its potential to expand the geographic scope of peacetime operations for both nations. A key area of interest is the Arctic, where India has growing economic stakes, notably through the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s Yamal Peninsula. The agreement could enable joint exercises in this resource-rich and strategically vital region, granting India access to Russian naval ports along the Northern Sea Route (NSR)—from Vladivostok to Murmansk. This access enhances the Indian Navy’s operational reach in polar waters, a domain where it currently lacks a permanent presence, while supporting India’s scientific and commercial ambitions in the Arctic, including its observer status in the Arctic Council since 2013.
For Russia, RELOS provides reciprocal benefits, allowing its navy to leverage India’s extensive network of ports in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This strengthens Russia’s maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific, a theater of increasing geopolitical competition, without necessitating formal alignment with the Quad—a grouping Russia has historically critiqued. The pact thus serves as a counterweight to the influence of the United States and China, aligning with both nations’ interests in maintaining a multipolar world order.
The RELOS pact is expected to significantly enhance interoperability between the Russian and Indian armed forces. Joint military exercises, such as the annual INDRA series, will benefit from simplified logistics, enabling sustained operations with reduced costs and bureaucratic hurdles. Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions—a growing focus of India-Russia cooperation—will also gain from improved coordination, allowing rapid deployment of resources in crisis-hit regions.
India’s armed forces, particularly the Navy, stand to gain the most. With over 60% of its military hardware of Russian origin—including Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighters, T-90 tanks, and the S-400 air defence system—integration with Russian logistics networks ensures operational continuity. The agreement could also facilitate exercises involving India’s INS Vikramaditya carrier group and Russia’s Arctic-capable fleets, testing combined capabilities in diverse environments.
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