The United States has sanctioned India-based Shaurya Aeronautics Private Limited (Shaurya), part of a consortium with Russia’s Airports of Regions Management Company to oversee Sri Lanka’s Mattala Rajapaksa Airport.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Shaurya last week among 275 entities involved in supplying Russia with advanced technology and equipment that it claims is needed to support its war machine. They have sent shipments to Russia of high-priority dual-use technology, including radar apparatus, radio navigational aid apparatus and radio remote control apparatus, and electrical apparatus for switching.
“Shaurya is being designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy.” the US Department of Treasury has said.
In April 2024, Sri Lanka awarded a 30 year lease of its white elephant international airport to a foreign consortium consisting of India’s Shaurya Aeronautics Private Limited and Russia’s Airports of Regions Management Company. Once dubbed, the “world’s emptiest airport”, the 209 USD million facility was built on high-interest Chinese commercial loans. In 2017, unable to repay a huge Chinese loan, Sri Lanka allowed China Merchant Port Holdings to take over a nearby port in Hambantota.
Since receiving an International Monetary Fund bailout last year, Sri Lanka has been aiming to privatise a host of white elephant projects. After the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government began large scale infrastructure projects, such as highways, the self-named Mattala Rajapaksa airport, and a lotus tower that all resulted in low returns and were tainted with corruption, filling the pockets of the politically connected businesspeople.
The US sanctions come at a time of growing Indian-Russian ties.
Last week Russian president Vladimir Putin praised India, stating that it should “undoubtedly added to the list of superpowers, with its billion-and-a-half population, the fastest growth among all economies in the world, ancient culture and very good prospects for further growth”.
“We are developing relations with India in all directions,” he said at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday. “India is a great country, now the largest in terms of population: 1.5 billion people, plus 10 million every year. “
“Our vision of where and at what pace our relations will develop is based on today’s realities. The volume of our cooperation is increasing many times over, every year.”
He went on to highlight the BrahMos cruise missile project as an example of their military co-operation.
“Look at how many types of Russian military equipment are in service with the Indian armed forces. There is a great degree of trust in this relationship. We don’t just sell our weapons to India; we design them jointly,” he said.
“In fact, we made it [the missile] fit for use in three environments - in air, in sea and on land. These projects, conducted for the benefit of India’s security, are ongoing,” he said. “This is widely known and no one has issues with that, but these projects demonstrate a high level of mutual trust and cooperation. So this what we will keep doing in the near term, and, I hope, will continue to do in the more distant future”.
Earlier this week Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russia’s First Deputy PM Denis Manturov.
“Happy to see that teams on both sides are working together to implement decisions taken during my recent visits and meetings with President Putin to further strengthen India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” Modi tweeted.
India is also the world's third largest oil importer and consumer and has become the top buyer of Russian sea-borne oil since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
