Two Indian Navy warships built in Russia are likely to be commissioned by the end of this year after delays due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

The first warship will be called INS Tushil while the other warship will be called INS Tamal after commissioning.

These stealth frigates were built as part of the Tuhir-class warships, which are successors to the six Talwar-class warships and their successor frigates.

Indian defense officials told ANI that a team of the Indian Navy, including personnel from the Directorate of Materials, recently visited the Russian shipyard where the frigates are being built and inspected the project.

Work is progressing smoothly and the first warship has been launched for sea trials, conducted by the Russian Navy.

They said the two warships are expected to enter service in August and December this year respectively.

Ongoing conflicts in the region have created numerous problems for the project, including the installation of Ukrainian engines on Russian-built frigates.

Additionally, labor from the Indian Naval Dockyard has also been sent there to install engines on the warships, officials said.

The first ship is currently undergoing testing in Russian waters and is expected to be delivered to the Indian Navy soon for acceptance testing.

Moreover, the Indian team is expected to reach there soon.

Two more warships in the series, being built at Goa Shipbuilding Limited (GSL) in India with Russian support, are also progressing.

GSL is expected to launch the first ship for testing in the near future, and plans to complete delivery in mid-2026.

In addition, GSL expanded its facilities and received supplies for warships.

During the late Manohar Parrikar’s tenure as defense minister, projects to build warships at Russian and Indian shipyards were approved.

Work on the project has also been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when nearly all military projects are facing supply chain issues.

The two warships under construction in Russia are expected to be the last Indian surface ships to be built at foreign shipyards, as the current and future leadership of the Indian Navy promotes defense self-reliance and provides employment opportunities to Indian shipyards and workers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)