India deployed the first battery of Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems on the territory of its western Punjab state bordering on Pakistan, the ANI news agency reported on Tuesday, citing its own sources.
“The first squadron is being deployed in the Punjab sector. The batteries of the first squadron would be capable of taking care of aerial threats from both Pakistan and China,” the news agency quoted its sources as saying.
India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla announced earlier in December that Russia had commenced the deliveries of S-400 air defense systems to the republic.
New Delhi announced its intention to purchase Russian-made S-400 air defense systems in 2015. A $5.43 bln contract on the delivery of five regiment sets of S-400 ‘Triumf’ anti-aircraft missile systems was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in October 2018.
The deal infuriated Washington, which is threatening to impose sanctions on the states acquiring weapons and military hardware from Russia under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) adopted in 2017.
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