India is the world's biggest buyer of Russian arm; $13 billion in past 5 years

India bought Russian arms worth around $13 billion during the past five years, and New Delhi has orders placed with Moscow for weapons and military equipment exceeding $10 billion, Russian state news agencies reported late on Sunday.

India tops in Russian arms purchasing, accounting for around 20% of Moscow's current order book, and New Delhi has not explicitly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for dialogue and diplomacy to solve the conflict, now in its 12th month.

Many Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia, including on arms, in response to the invasion, which Moscow calls a "special military operation".

India, and some Southeast Asian countries have maintained their interest in buying Russian arms, according to Dmitry Shugayev, the head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, the agencies reported.