Chennai, 13 Oct 2026: Indian Navy's warship INS Sahyadri arrived at Vladivostok, Russia, on October 10 to participate in the bilateral naval exercise I N D R A – 2026 , scheduled to be held from October 13 to 18, aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation and enhancing opera tional interoperability between the Indian and Russian navies.
The deployment will involve profes sional engagements and coordinated mari time activities between the Indian Navy and the Russian Federation Navy, providing an opportunity for both sides to exchange ope rational expe rtise and imp rove mutual under standing.
The exercise will be conducted in two phases , beginning with harbour – based engage ments, followed by coordinated opera tional activities at sea. The programme will include professional interactions and a series of maritime evolutions designed to improve coordination and cooperation bet ween the participating forces.
Beyond operational training, the exercise will feature social and cultural engagements, allowing pe rsonnel f rom both navies to interact and strengthen camaraderie and people-to-people ties.
I N S Sahyadri ' s participation aligns with India's MAHA SAGAR vision – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions – and underscores the long standing de fence and maritime partnership between New Delhi and Moscow.
The deployment also builds on the momentum generated by the 23rd India – Russia Annual Summit, held on December 4 and 5, 2025, reflecting the continued engagement between the two coun tries in the defence and maritime domains.
Exercise INDRA is part of the ongoing bilateral engagement between the two navies, with the 2026 edition expected to further strengthen professional ties and enhance their ability to operate in coordination at sea.