YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK (Sputnik) – Russia will deliver S-400 air defence systemsto India in strict accordance with the schedule, within 18-19 months, andthe contract has been already prepaid, Russian Deputy Prime Minister YuriBorisov said.

“The advance payment has been received and everything will be delivered instrict accordance with the schedule, within about 18-19 months,” Borisovsaid in the air of Rossiya 1 broadcaster.

Earlier this year, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral PhilipDavidson said the US regarded India’s purchase of the Russian S-400 systemslinkasa “bit of a problem”, adding though that Washington was in talks with theIndian military in a move to convince the latter not to proceed with thedeal.

India and Russia signed a $5.43 billion S-400 contract in nationalcurrencies in 2018 despite US threats to sanction New Delhi under a 2017law that allows Washington to punish countries purchasing Russian weapons.

Despite the threats, India still remains Russia’s major defencepartner with some 58 percent of Indian arms imports between 2014 and 2018sourced in Russia.

Besides India, the US has also been facing a rowlinkwithTurkey, Washington’s NATO partner, over the purchase of the Russian airdefence systems.

This summer, Russia finished the deliverylinkofthe first batch of the S-400 systems within a deal concluded back inDecember 2017. After Ankara made it clear earlier in the year that it wouldproceed with the deal, Washington suspended the deliveries of F-35 jets toTurkey and promised to move with more sanctions against the country