Indian Naval Ship Sahyadri arrived at Vladivostok, Russia, on 10 October 2026 to participate in Exercise INDRA 2026, a bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) scheduled from 13-18 October 2026. The deployment provides an opportunity for professional engagements and operational interaction between the two navies, furthering maritime cooperation and interoperability.

The participation of INS Sahyadri is in consonance with the government of India’s vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) and builds upon the longstanding defence and maritime partnership between India and Russia. The deployment also provides an opportunity to carry forward the momentum generated during the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit held on 4–5 December 2025.

Exercise INDRA 2026 will comprise engagements during the harbour phase followed by coordinated operational activities at sea. The exercise will include a range of professional interactions and maritime evolutions aimed at enhancing mutual understanding, operational coordination and interoperability between the participating navies.

In addition to operational engagements, social and cultural interactions will provide opportunities for personnel of both navies to interact and foster camaraderie and people-to-people connections.