Putin Formalizes RELOS: India's Strategic Defense Secured

• President Putin formalized the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) agreement into Russian federal law.
• RELOS institutionalizes India-Russia defense cooperation, providing mutual logistical support for military deployments and access to facilities.
• The pact safeguards India's heavily Russian-dependent military inventory by ensuring logistics, maintenance, and technical support.
• RELOS helps India mitigate the impact of sanctions on Russia, reducing reliance on traditional banking channels for defense sustainment.
• The agreement is a low-visibility strategy to preserve India-Russia defense ties while balancing other international relationships.

Why It Matters: RELOS pact ensures India's Russian military readiness despite sanctions and supply issues.