On Thursday, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande underlined that becoming self-reliant in the defence sector was one of the primary lessons the country's armed forces have learned from Russia's ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.
"Self-reliance is one of the key lessons in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and we have done well there. The lesson from the Russia-Ukraine conflict is that land will continue to be a key domain of warfare where you have contested borders, as in our case," Pande said at a public event in Delhi.
Pande's comments come as Russia's 20-month military operation in Ukraine comes to an end and Moscow continues to claim successes despite huge tranches of arms and ammunition arriving in Kiev from the West, particularly the United States.
Interestingly, Moscow has single-handedly managed to keep its arms supply lines active through its robust defence industry, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's forces remain completely dependent on their Western allies.
What Indian Experts Say About Lessons From Russia-Ukraine Conflict?
Defence Expert, Major General (Retd) G. D. Bakshi told Sputnik India that Russia's self-reliance in the defence sector has made it possible for its armed forces to continue with such a long operation in Ukraine.
"If Russia hadn't been self-sufficient and hadn't produced most of the weapons it used in Ukraine domestically, the Eurasian nation wouldn't have dominated the fighting against Kiev," Bakshi said.
Earlier, another retired Indian Army officer, Major General (retd.) Pradeep Singh Behl, pointed out that the amount of arms being sent to Ukraine by the West was "outrageous".
However, he stressed that despite the huge flow of military hardware to Ukraine, what was needed were boots on the ground, which Kiev couldn't find. Therefore, its so-called counter-offensive has "failed".
"Despite all this, America and its allies will continue to pump weapons into Ukraine, they will continue to increase their production capacity," Behl emphasised.
West's Military Assistance to Ukraine
Since Russia's special operation in Ukraine began, several Western countries have provided military aid to Ukraine. The Joe Biden administration is the largest single donor of defence aid to Ukraine.
In a recent parliamentary report, it was mentioned that the United States has provided a significant amount of military aid, totaling $44.5 billion, to the Eastern European nation.
The United Kingdom (UK) has provided Ukraine with a substantial defense package worth nearly $5.6 billion, encompassing crucial components such as advanced weaponry and comprehensive personnel training.
On the other hand, the European Union's military aid to Ukraine stands at almost $6 billion as of October 2023.