Russia has started  delivering shipments to India of the state-of- the -art  S-400 anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, the head of the state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport,  Alexander Mikheyev had said.

"The equipment shipment has begun ahead of schedule," Mikheyev said on the sidelines of the Dubai air show on Monday.

The first regiment set of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems will be delivered to India by the end of this year, the chief executive said, as quoted by the Tass news agency.

"All the material of the first regiment set will be delivered to India at the end of 2021. Immediately after the New Year, our specialists will arrive in India for the equipment transfer at the sites where it will be stationed," he added.

The deliveries are being carried out in compliance with the terms of the contract, the Rosoboronexport chief said.

The Russian official said that Moscow has already trained Indian specialists to operate the S-400 systems, he said.

"The Indian specialists who will operate the first regiment set have completed their training and returned home," he observed.

India has signed a contract for five regiments of the S-400 air defence systems at a cost of $5.43 billion. The contract was signed during the visit to India by Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2018.

The S-400 is a highly capable weapon of all round air defence that can destroy all types of aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles as well as hypersonic weapons at a range of around 400 kilometres. It can also target ground installations.

Also Read: Putin’s India visit – A shot in the arm for India-Russia ties

Also Read: Apart from the Putin-Modi summit, India and Russia will hold 2+2 talks on December 6