India and Russia Pact: India and Russia have started using a new defence agreement that lets both countries keep some troops and military equipment in each other’s land. The deal was signed in February 2025. It became active on January 12, 2026. Russia’s ratifying law was passed in December 2025. This means the agreement is now fully in force and both sides can use it under the rules written in the pact.
The agreement is called the Indo-Russian Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement, or RELOS. Under this deal, each side can keep up to 3,000 troops in the other country. It also allows a small number of military assets to be there at the same time.
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As Russian lawmaker Vyacheslav Nikonov said, it will allow “five warships, ten aircraft and three thousand troops to be simultaneously stationed in the territory of the partner country for a period of five years, and if both parties agree, it can be extended for another five years,” First Deputy Chairman of the International Affairs Committee Vyacheslav Nikonov recently confirmed to the State Duma in Moscow after the Russian Parliament ratified it.
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This deal is not only about keeping forces in each other’s territory. It also covers many support services that armies, navies, and air forces need. In simple words, it helps both countries take care of visiting ships, planes, and troops in an easier way. The pact also covers joint military drills, training work, and humanitarian missions. It is meant to make long defence cooperation smoother and more useful for both sides.
For warships, the support includes entry into ports, repair help, and basic supplies like water, food, and technical items. For military aircraft, the host country can provide air traffic control, flight data, handling of flight requests, military navigation support, parking space, and security. The agreement also says aviation fuel, lubricants, special fluids, and repair of faulty equipment can be given on a reimbursable basis.
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Military facilities
The pact also opens the door to each side using military facilities such as ports and airbases in the other country. That gives India access to Russian bases, including some in the Arctic. Russia also gets wider access to Indian facilities. The agreement also talks about “deployment of military formations”, which means troops and equipment can be sent for training, disaster relief work, and other planned missions together.
This is seen as an important step because it comes at a time of major global tensions, including the war in Ukraine and conflict in West Asia.
