NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station have sent Independence Day greetings to India as the country prepares to mark its 80th Independence Day on Aug. 15.
The cosmonauts held the Indian tricolor while delivering their message in a video released Monday. They also highlighted the long friendship between India and Russia. In particular, they pointed to space exploration as a key part of the partnership between the two nations.
Cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov recalled India’s journey since independence. He said the country broke free from colonial rule eight decades ago and began its path toward self-reliance and prosperity.
Dubrov also noted an important milestone in space history. The year 2026 marks 65 years since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space.
Gagarin later visited India in November 1961. His visit helped strengthen the growing friendship between India and the Soviet Union. During the Independence Day message, the cosmonauts also recalled Gagarin’s warm words about India.
Cosmonaut Anna Kikina said Gagarin had described India as beautiful from space. However, he found the country even more special because it was home to true friends.
The three cosmonauts appeared with the Indian tricolor and three posters that highlighted India-Russia space cooperation. The posters featured Gagarin, Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma and India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program.
The space partnership between India and Russia has a long history. It began in 1975 when the Soviet Union launched Aryabhata, India’s first satellite. Since then, the two countries have expanded cooperation in several areas of space exploration.
Another major milestone came in 1984. Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel into space. He flew aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft. His mission became a major symbol of India’s growing role in human spaceflight.
Today, the partnership has entered another important phase through India’s Gaganyaan program. The mission aims to send Indian astronauts into space on a crewed flight.
Indian astronauts, known as Gaganyatris, have trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia. Their training supports India’s preparations for its first crewed space mission.
Kikina highlighted this new chapter in India-Russia space cooperation. She said the partnership now includes efforts linked to Gaganyaan and other joint initiatives.
Cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev also spoke about recent cooperation. He said Roscosmos, the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office in India, and the Indian Space Research Organisation held a joint competition focused on space cooperation between the two countries.
The competition encouraged people to explore the long-standing relationship between India and Russia in space. Organizers displayed the winning entries alongside the Independence Day message.
Meanwhile, the cosmonauts wished India peace and prosperity ahead of its 80th Independence Day. They also expressed hope that the friendship between India and Russia would continue to grow.
