India Refutes New York Times Report Claiming HAL 'Re-Routed British Sensitive Equipment' To Russia

The Indian government on Monday refuted an article published in an American newspaper claiming that the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) may have “re-routed British sensitive equipment” to Russia’s Rosoboronexport, which is sanctioned by the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Responding to the article, a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) source told news agency ANI that the report is factually incorrect, misleading, and it attempts to frame issues and distort facts to fit a political narrative.

"The Indian entity (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited - HAL) mentioned in the report has scrupulously followed all its international obligations regarding strategic trade controls and end-user commitments. India’s robust legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade continues to guide overseas commercial ventures by its companies. We expect reputed media outlets to undertake basic due diligence before publishing such reports, which was obviously overlooked in this case," ANI quoted an MEA source as saying.