India, Russia hold joint military exercise

Reuters: The Indian and Russian armies conducted their bi-annual joint military exercise, 'INDRA 2018', on Tuesday (November 27) in India's northern Jhansi city aimed at boosting defence cooperation between the two countries. The fifth army of the Russian Federation and the Indian army's Mechanized Infantry battalion with as many as 500 soldiers, 250 from each side took part in the exercise. The drills in the exercise under the banner of the United Nations, aimed to emphasize training to enhance team building, house intervention, peacemaking operations, and strengthening special tactical operations and learn about arms and ammunitions. The Commander of Russia's Eastern Military District Major General Tsekov Oleg Mussovich said, the exercise proved both armies could fight terrorism hand in hand. Military ties between the two countries date back to the Soviet era, when India entirely depended on Moscow to equip its armed forces. The United States has since taken over as India's top arms supplier.