Payment Issue With Russia Resolved? Russian Ambassador To India Denis Alipov Says Delivery Of S-400 On Track

The Russian ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, has confirmed that the delivery of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system to India is progressing as scheduled and will be completed according to the agreed-upon timeline.

This follows multiple reports indicating that the delivery of the S-400 has experienced delays due to payment issues.

Since the commencement of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, Western nations have prohibited Russia's access to the international payment settlement service known as the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT).

Both sides have attempted to settle payments through a Rupee-Rouble arrangement, but this has not resolved the crisis due to the significant trade imbalance and accumulation of Rupees on the Russian side.

Out of the five S-400 regiments that were contracted under a $5.43 billion deal in 2018, three have been delivered, while the remaining two are facing delays.

One of the sources stated that once the payment schedule is clarified, a new delivery schedule can be determined.

Nevertheless, shortly before the G-20 summit scheduled to take place in India between 9-10 September, Ambassador Alipov stated in an interview with ANI that the deliveries remain on course and are expected to conclude by the end of 2024.

Alipov stated, "As far as the S-400 deliveries are concerned, they have been going on track and the chiefs of the Russian companies involved in those supplies have come on record confirming the supplies will be concluded in time and according to the schedule mutually agreed with our Indian partners. We are speaking about the completion of deliveries by the end of next year."

Alipov also acknowledged the challenges posed by sanctions against Russia and the resulting difficulties in settling payments, underlining their commitment in overcoming these challenges.

He said, "Some problems that we face at the moment, like financial transactions, have been tackled with dedication and with the desire to find ways to overcome the stumbling blocks and the blocks that some of the Western countries want to create and has and have created."