(CNN) Russia is unable to honor its arms supply commitments to India due to the war in Ukraine, the Indian Air Force (IAF) mentioned, inserting a possible pressure on New Delhi’s relationship with its largest protection provider as Moscow makes an attempt to ramp up weapons manufacturing.

An IAF consultant advised an Indian parliamentary committee that because of the Ukraine conflict a “major delivery” from Moscow “is not going to take place.”

The admission, published in a report by India’s decrease home of parliament on Tuesday, is the primary official affirmation by Indian authorities amid swirling rumors and stories in native media suggesting shortcomings in Russian capability.

“They have given us in writing that they are not able to deliver it,” the consultant mentioned, in line with the report.

CNN has contacted the Russian Embassy in New Delhi however didn’t obtain a response on the time of publishing.

The report didn’t point out the specifics of the supply.

The greatest ongoing supply is the S-400 Triumf air protection system models India purchased in 2018 for $5.4 billion. Three of those programs have been delivered and two extra are awaited, Reuters reported.

IAF additionally is dependent upon Russia for spares for its Su-30MKI and MiG-29 fighter jets, the mainstay of the service department, in line with Reuters.

Russia is the world’s second-largest arms exporter, in line with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a large-scale effort to construct up capability to supply extra weapons for the conflict in a transfer he mentioned was “urgently needed.”

Putin’s order additionally adopted repeated complaints by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin that his mercenaries weren’t receiving adequate munitions of their extended battle for the japanese metropolis of Bakhmut.

Strained relations

New Delhi has sturdy ties with Moscow relationship again to the Cold War, and stays closely depending on the Kremlin for its army gear — an important hyperlink given the continued tensions alongside India’s shared Himalayan border with an more and more assertive China.

The admission by the IAF is “very serious,” in line with Harsh V. Pant, vice chairman of research and international coverage on the New Delhi-based assume thank Observer Research Foundation.

“I think it underscores the problems that (India) has been bedeviling this relationship for quite some time,” he added. “And the Ukraine crisis has accelerated the trend that India, for a very long time, has been trying to diversify, and was concerned about its over dependence on Russia.”

A SIPRI report printed this month mentioned Russia stays India’s largest arms provider, regardless of a drop in protection imports from 62% to 45% between 2017 and 2022.

Experts have instructed the drop may very well be as a result of India is trying to diversify its imports and push extra home-grown gear.

Last September, a US State Department official said Washington was in “deep” talks with India over its reliance on Russian arms and power.

Russia “is no longer a reliable weapons supplier” and Indian representatives are “coming to understand that there could be real benefits for them (in finding other markets),” the official advised reporters in New York.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, India, the world’s largest democracy, has rigorously navigated a center path.

New Delhi has refused to sentence Moscow’s brutal assault in numerous United Nations resolutions. And somewhat than chopping financial ties with the Kremlin, India has undermined Western sanctions by growing its purchases of Russian oil, coal and fertilizer.

India has additionally maintained shut ties to the West — significantly the United States — as it really works to thwart China’s rise.

As Putin continues his aggression, driving meals and gasoline costs to soar, consultants have instructed Moscow’s actions in Ukraine may very well be testing New Delhi’s persistence.

And the Indian Air Force going public about Russia’s arms supply failure may very well be an indication of that pressure, mentioned Pant, from the Observer Research Foundation.

“I think the relationship (between India and Russia) has been under stress for a long time,” he mentioned. “It’s now becoming clear that the present trajectory of this relationship is becoming increasingly unsustainable (because of) what is happening in Ukraine.”

Additional reporting by Reuters.