India likely to buy additional batch of Russian MiG-29 fighter jets — official

Many countries opt for Russian combat equipment despite sanctions — official

TASS: India is very much likely to buy an extra batch of Russian MiG-29 fighter jets, chief of Russia’s Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said on Monday.

"There is a high probability that we will have an additional order for MiG-29 fighter jets," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

India currently has more than 60 MiG-29 aircarft.

According to Shugayev, Russia has good chances to take part in India’s tender for the purchase of 110 fighter jets that is to be announced soon. It was reported earlier that the Russian side planned to take part in this tender with its MiG-35 fighter jets.

Aside India, many foreign countries choose to buy Russian combat equipment despite the sanction risks, Shugayev said on Monday.

During the interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel, Shugayev said, "Russia as a reliable partner is in priority with many countries. Some countries and concrete persons are running real risks opting to buy our equipment. We value such partners because they prefer us."

According to Shugayev, Russia’s foreign partners are guided by their own interests and choose Russian combat equipment "not because they seek to please anyone or because someone finds it yielding." 

"Our equipment has proved its worth first of all from the point of view of combat uses and the price-quality ratio," he stressed.