Amid LAC Standoff, India, Russia hold Navy drills

TIL Desk/World/New Delhi/ The Indian and Russian navies on Saturday carried out a range of complex maritime operations as part of a mega military exercise in the Bay of Bengal to further enhance their operational convergence, officials said.

The exercise comes at a time India is significantly expanding deployment of its warships in the Indian Ocean region in the wake of the festering border row with China in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical to the country’s strategic interests.

The officials said a wide spectrum of drills including surface and anti-aircraft drills, helicopter operations, maneuvers and cross-deck flying was carried out for the second consecutive day as part of the 11th edition of the biennial Indo-Russian exercise Indra Navy. “The exercise epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between the two navies,” Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.