Just a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in India for his visit, something big happened in Moscow. Russia’s parliament, called the Duma, approved a crucial military agreement with India on Tuesday, December 3. This wasn’t just any agreement—it’s called RELOS, which stands for Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support. Think of it as two friends agreeing to help each other whenever needed, but on a much bigger, military scale.
So what exactly does this agreement mean? Imagine you’re on a long road trip and your car runs out of fuel. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a friend along the route who could quickly refuel your car, fix any small problems, and let you rest at their place? That’s essentially what RELOS does for Indian and Russian military forces. Their ships, aircraft, and troops can now use each other’s military bases for joint training, exercises, helping people during disasters, and other humanitarian work. When an Indian warship needs fuel, spare parts, or repairs while operating near Russian waters, it can simply dock at a Russian port and get everything sorted quickly. The same goes for Russian forces using Indian facilities.
The real excitement here is what India gains from this deal. Remember studying about the Arctic region in geography class? That frozen land at the top of the world? Well, Russia has a massive presence there with many military bases and ports. Through RELOS, India now gets access to these Arctic facilities. This means Indian Navy ships can operate in polar waters, gaining experience in completely new territories. India can use Russian naval ports all along the Northern Sea Route—from Vladivostok in the east to Murmansk in the west. This isn’t just about military strength; it also helps India’s scientific research in the Arctic region.
Here’s something interesting: this agreement has been in the works for years. It was supposed to be signed way back in 2019 when Prime Minister Modi visited Russia for the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. But paperwork and discussions took time, and both countries finally approved the draft only in June last year. Now, with the Duma’s approval, it’s finally becoming reality.
India didn’t just wake up one day and decide such agreements were important. The country signed its first logistics agreement only in 2016 with the United States, called LEMOA. After seeing how useful it was, India signed similar deals with the UK, Japan, Australia, France, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam. But the one with Russia is particularly special because India uses a lot of Russian military equipment—Sukhoi fighter jets, T-90 tanks, and the powerful S-400 missile defence systems. Having direct access to Russian logistics networks means all this equipment can be maintained and supported much more easily.
Why does India need such agreements? Well, the Indian Navy doesn’t just sit at home. At any given time, around 12 to 15 Indian warships are out in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, working independently. They’re watching important sea passages, making sure trade ships move safely, providing help during disasters, and dealing with pirates and other threats. You can’t send a support ship with each warship—that would be too expensive and slow. So having friendly ports where ships can quickly refuel, get repairs, and restock supplies is absolutely essential.
Russia benefits too. With Western countries imposing sanctions because of the Ukraine war, Russia finds itself somewhat isolated. Just as India gets access to the Arctic, Russia gains access to the Indian Ocean through this agreement. This lets Russia maintain its global presence and show its strength in Asia without spending huge amounts of money building permanent bases, which take years to construct.
Defence experts say India started taking these agreements seriously after seeing China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region. When you have a neighbour making bold moves, you need to ensure you have friends and facilities that can support you across the oceans.
The beauty of RELOS is its simplicity. Without this agreement, every time an Indian ship needed to dock at a Russian port, there would be mountains of paperwork, approvals, and delays. Now, it’s straightforward. The agreement even includes clear rules for settling costs and fees over time, so there’s no confusion or disputes later.
Speaker of Russia’s State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, put it perfectly when he said, “Our relations with India are strategic and comprehensive, and we value them.” This agreement isn’t just a piece of paper—it’s another strong thread in the growing partnership between the world’s largest democracy and one of its oldest defence partners. As both nations face an increasingly complex world, having each other’s backs—literally through shared bases and logistics—makes both countries stronger, safer, and more capable of handling whatever challenges come their way.
