‘You mean Sudarshan Chakra…’: Russian diplomat on iron dome query; says Moscow India’s ‘partner choice’

Russia on Tuesday highlighted the strength of its strategic ties with India with senior diplomat Roman Babushkin dismissing Western criticism of New Delhi’s continued energy purchases from Moscow and stressing that Russia remains India’s “partner of choice.”

Responding to questions on whether India might consider systems like Israel’s Iron Dome, Babushkin, Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Embassy in India, said: “You mean Sudarshan Chakra?” His remark came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled Mission Sudarshan Chakra, an ambitious initiative to develop an indigenous air defence shield to secure India’s critical civilian and strategic assets from potential threats.

#WATCH | Delhi | On US trade adviser stating India should stop buying Russian oil, Roman Babushkin, Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Embassy in India,”If the West criticises you, it means you are doing everything right…We don’t expect that to happen (India to stop buying oil… pic.twitter.com/THIeVouyiy

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2025

The Russian diplomat cited the recent phone call between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Modi, saying it reflected India’s importance in Moscow’s strategic calculus. “The recent phone call by President Putin to PM Modi ji, explaining and sharing the information about recent developments in Ukraine, means India matters a lot to Russia. We are capable of finding any solution for mutual satisfaction. The deepening of our partnership will help us grow together…”

“We have seen this problem of sanctions for many years now, but our trade is growing. In recent years, our trade has grown by 7 times…,” he added.

On Washington’s suggestion that India should cut back on Russian oil imports, Babushkin was unequivocal. “If the West criticises you, it means you are doing everything right,” he said. “We don’t expect that to happen. We know about the challenging circumstances for India. This is the true strategic partnership we are enjoying. Whatever happens even during challenges, we are committed to removing any problems.”

The Sudarshan Chakra is based on the Russian S-400 platform, capable of engaging aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and ballistic missiles at ranges up to 400 km. The comparable systems include the THAAD from the US, which is, designed to intercept ballistic missiles in their terminal phase, effective at altitudes up to 150 km and ranges of about 200 km. It is also optimised for high-altitude threats rather than multi-role defence.

Alongside Sudarshan Chakra, India is developing Project Kusha, an indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile programme intended to rival or surpass S-400 capabilities. Planned in three variants—M1 (150 km), M2 (250 km), and M3 (400 km)—the system is expected to begin trials in late 2025 and enter service between 2028 and 2030.

Together, these developments reflect a global and domestic push toward integrated air-defence networks capable of countering an increasingly diverse range of aerial threats.