
Putin dials PM Modi over Pahalgam attack, accepts invitation for India visit later this year
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to visit India later this year, the Kremlin said on Monday, as reported by Reuters.
During a phone call earlier in the day, PM Modi invited Putin to attend the upcoming annual India-Russia summit. The leaders also discussed the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, with Putin expressing strong support for India and condemning the violence.
According to Reuters, both leaders underlined that the strong relationship between India and Russia remains unaffected by outside pressure and continues to grow steadily.
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared details of the call, stating: 'President Putin called PM Narendra Modi and strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, India. He conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism. He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice.'
President Putin @KremlinRussia_E called PM @narendramodi and strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, India. He conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism. He emphasised that the…
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) May 5, 2025
Putin described the Pahalgam attack as a 'brutal crime' and assured India of Russia's continued cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts.
The Kremlin also confirmed that Putin's visit to India would be part of the annual summit between the two nations, expected to take place later this year.
During the conversation, PM Modi also congratulated Putin on the upcoming 80th anniversary of Russia's Victory Day. Although Russia invited the Prime Minister to attend the celebrations, PM Modi will not be travelling due to the ongoing security situation. Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, is likely to represent India at the event.
PM Modi visited Russia twice last year once for the annual summit and again for the BRICS summit in Kazan.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Hindustan Times
37 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pope Leo XIV affirms celibacy for priests, demands 'firm' action on sex abuse
Pope Leo XIV affirmed Wednesday that priests must be celibate and insisted that bishops take 'firm and decisive' action to deal with sex abusers, as he gave marching orders Wednesday to the world's Catholic hierarchs. Pope Leo XIV attends a meditation inside St. Peter's Basilica during the Jubilee of Bishops, at the Vatican, June 25(REUTERS) Leo met in St Peter's Basilica with about 400 bishops and cardinals from 38 countries attending this week's special Holy Year celebrations for clergy. A day after he gave an uplifting message of encouragement to young seminarians, Leo offered a more comprehensive outline of what bishops must do to lead their flocks. It's an issue the former Cardinal Robert Prevost would have long pondered given his role as the prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops. In that job from 2023 until his election in May, the Chicago-born Prevost vetted bishop nominations for Pope Francis, identifying the type of leader who would further Francis' view of a church where all are welcome and dialogue is the decisive form of governance. History's first American pope reaffirmed Wednesday that the primary role of bishops is to forge unity in his diocese among clergy and to be close to his flock in word and deed. Bishops must live in poverty and simplicity, generously opening their homes to all and acting as a father figure and brother to his priests, Leo said. 'In his personal life, he must be detached from the pursuit of wealth and from forms of favouritism based on money or power,' he said. Bishops must remain celibate 'and present to all the authentic image of the church, holy and chaste in her members as in her head,' he said. Referring to cases of abuse, he said bishops 'must be firm and decisive in dealing with situations that can cause scandal and with every case of abuse, especially involving minors, and fully respect the legislation currently in force.' It was the second time in a week that Leo has commented publicly on the abuse scandal. On Friday night, in a written statement to a crusading Peruvian journalist who documented gross abuses in a Peruvian Catholic movement, Leo said there should be no tolerance in the Catholic Church for any type of abuse. He identified sexual and spiritual abuses, as well as abuses of authority and power in calling for 'transparent processes' to create a culture of prevention across the church. Francis, who in many ways placed Leo in position to succeed him, had also reaffirmed celibacy for Latin rite priests while acknowledging it was a discipline of the church, not doctrine, and therefore could change. But he refused appeals from Amazonian bishops to allow married priests to address the priest shortage in the region. Prevost spent two decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru and would know well those arguments. But on Wednesday he reaffirmed the celibate priesthood as the 'authentic image' of the church. (AP) NPK NPK


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
US unleashes 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iran — but scientists say Tehran's concrete may have won the day
America's Biggest Bomb Makes Its Combat Debut in Iran Damage Assessment Uncertain Live Events Decades-Old Arms Race: Concrete vs. Bombs Bunker-Buster Technology The Concrete Advantage Past Efforts FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel While the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer on Iran amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran to attack its nuclear facilities, it is still not known if Iran's nuclear program is actually destroyed, as per a US military used Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), massive 30,000-pound bombs, to strike key Iranian nuclear sites, including the Fordow fuel-enrichment plant, the Natanz nuclear facility, and the Isfahan nuclear technology center, according to a Popular Mechanics Pentagon's operation marks the first-ever use of the MOP, which can only be carried by the B-2 stealth bomber, and it has been considered the only country capable of destroying Iran's underground nuclear facilities, but whether it actually accomplished that feat is still unclear, as per the READ: Putin goes full throttle on hypersonic missiles as Israel, US strike Iran sparking World War III panic While US president Donald Trump declared the operation "completely and totally obliterated" the sites, Iranian officials have dismissed his claims, according to the Popular Mechanics report. Even early US intelligence has revealed that the level of damage inflicted based on satellite imagery alone is not clear, and a CNN report mentioned that the strikes on Iran did not destroy the country's nuclear program and has instead only set it back by a matter of months, reported Popular to the Popular Mechanics report, history suggests Iran's underground nuclear facilities could be partially or wholly intact, "because up until now, in the quiet arms race between concrete and bombs, the concrete has been winning."In the late 2000s, a bunker-buster bomb failed to penetrate an Iranian bunker due to Iran's advancements in Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC), which is the latest concrete advancement and could not be impacted with a standard bunker buster, as per the READ: Aurora Borealis forecast: Northern Lights to light up skies in US this week - to be visible in these states today Stephanie Barnett, Ph.D., of the University of Portsmouth in the US, who is involved in developing stronger concrete to protect civilian buildings from terrorist attacks, said that military personnel are not pleased with the advancement as she shared that, 'One officer told me, 'If you make this stronger blast- and impact-resistant material, we need to think about how to get through it,'' quoted the Popular Mechanics US Air Force introduced its first modern bunker buster in 1985, these bombs have a thicker casing and fewer explosives than general-purpose bombs, concentrating weight on a smaller area to smash through concrete, according to the Steel, developed in the early 2000s, with low-carbon, low-nickel steel with traces of tungsten, chromium, manganese, silicon, and other elements, became the gold standard for bunker-busting munitions, as per the Popular Mechanics report. However, in recent years, Eglin Steel has been supplemented by a new USAF-96 steel, which offers similar performance but is easier to produce, as per the READ: Big news you missed: Israel blows up gate to Iran's notorious Evin Prison to free Khamenei's critics Phil Purnell, Ph.D., an expert in concrete technology at the University of Leeds, explained that concrete is brittle, with a weakness in its tensile capacity and toughness, according to the Popular Mechanics report. He said, "It is good at being squashed, not being stretched. The weakness is in its tensile capacity and toughness,' as quoted in the UHPC has changed this, withstanding 40,000 pounds per square inch (psi) or more, compared to the previous high-strength rating of 5,000 to 10,000 psi, as reported by the Popular Mechanics addition of steel or other fibres turns concrete into a composite material, preventing cracks from spreading, as per the report. Barnett explained that, 'Instead of getting a few large cracks in a concrete panel, you get lots of smaller cracks,' adding, 'The fibers give it more fracture energy,' quoted the Popular Mechanics report. The report defined the meaning of fracture energy as the amount of energy needed to split a material 1991, the US developed a 5,000-pound bomb in six weeks to penetrate Iraqi bunkers protected by reinforced concrete, as per the report. In 2012, the USAF studied the challenge posed by UHPC bunkers and developed its own version, Eglin high-strength concrete, for testing, according to the Popular Mechanics report. While the results are classified, a Chinese study showed that UHPC targets survived projectile impacts with only minor cracking, as per the Air Force received the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) in 2011 and has upgraded it multiple times, according to the report. However, Gregory Vartanov, Ph.D., of Toronto-based Advanced Materials Development Corp, said that high-grade UHPC is too strong for bombs made with existing steels, according to the Popular Mechanics wrote in a February 2021 piece in Aerospace & Defense Technology magazine that, "Penetrators with monolithic cases made from materials such as … Eglin Steel … cannot penetrate bunkers made from UHPC,' as quoted in the the US Air Force will not disclose its current bunker-busting capabilities or how they stack up against potential targets in Iran, China, or elsewhere, reported the Popular Mechanics reliably. Some experts believe UHPC may be too strong for existing steel-based US dropped Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs)—30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs, as per the report.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
NATO allies vow to boost defence budgets under Trump pressure as Russian threat looms
NATO leaders have committed to a significant increase in defence spending, targeting 5% of GDP by 2035, driven by pressure from Donald Trump and growing concerns over Russian aggression. This commitment, formalized at a summit in The Hague, aims to deter Russia and ensure continued US involvement in the alliance. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Faced with what they called the most persistent threat to Euro-Atlantic security , NATO leaders on Wednesday agreed to a dramatic hike in defence spending, committing to invest 5% of GDP annually on military and security-related needs by move, aimed squarely at countering Russian aggression, reflects growing alarm within the alliance over Moscow's long-term strategic ambitions and continued war in also reaffirmed an 'ironclad' commitment to collective defence and formally designated Russia as a 'long-term threat,' AFP reported."Allies commit to invest five percent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035," the 32 NATO members said in a joint summit from The Hague, the declaration underscored NATO's unity 'in the face of profound security threats and challenges,' with Russia described as the most urgent and enduring danger to stability across Europe and also reiterated its 'enduring sovereign commitments' to Ukraine, stating that Kyiv's security was integral to that of the broader 5% defence spending target, more than double the existing 2% goal set in 2014, marks a major strategic shift as NATO prepares for what officials have called a "decisive decade" of heightened confrontation with authoritarian pledge is also seen as a response to growing pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised allies for not shouldering their fair share of the defence burden.