Several reports, mainly on social media, had stated that 155 mm artillery shells, similar to those manufactured in India, had been used by Ukraine

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday dismissed reports that artillery shells made in the country had been supplied to Ukraine by a European nation, with external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying there had been no such exports.

Several reports, mainly on social media and in some foreign news websites, had stated that 155 mm artillery shells, similar to those manufactured in India, had been used by Ukrainian forces. Some of these reports contended a central European country had supplied the shells to Ukraine after acquiring them from India.

As India is not among the nations supplying ammunition to Ukraine, the suspicion is that the ammunition was sent to Kiev by a third party through either Slovenia or Poland. People in the know said the security establishment is probing the possibility of India-made artillery landing up in a third country via arms dealers or in collusion with a partner country. These were indirectly procured through a third-party, according to sources.

Asked about the matter at a regular media briefing, Jaiswal said: “On the question regarding artillery shells, one thing is very clear. We’ve also seen some media reports in this regard. We can categorically say that we have not sent any of this artillery ammunition to Ukraine.”

He added, “Not exported and not sent.”

Jaiswal’s response came a day after external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba discussed the conflict in Ukraine and ways to take forward cooperation between the two sides. This was the first formal contact between the two countries in several months.

The two ministers agreed to hold the first meeting of the India-Ukraine inter-governmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical, industrial and cultural cooperation in almost six years.

Kuleba also raised the issue of cooperation between India and Ukraine on the peace formula proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Kyiv’s plans to organise a global peace summit in 2024.

India has consistently pushed for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict while refraining from any public criticism of the Russian invasion. It has also delivered several consignments of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.