Russian cosmonauts aboard the ISS greet India on its 80th Independence Day, highlighting decades of friendship and space cooperation.

Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station have praised the longstanding friendship and cooperation between India and Russia while extending greetings to Indians ahead of the country’s 80th Independence Day on August 15.

In a video message, cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev congratulated the people of India and highlighted space exploration as one of the key areas of cooperation between the two countries.

“Dear friends, today the Republic of India is celebrating its 80th Independence Day,” cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov said.

Dubrov noted India’s journey since gaining independence from colonial rule and highlighted the country’s progress towards self-reliance and prosperity. He also pointed out that 2026 marks 65 years since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space.

Recalling Gagarin’s visit to India in November 1961, cosmonaut Anna Kikina referred to his remarks about India’s beauty and the friendship between the two countries. She said the relationship between India and Russia has stood the test of time, with space exploration remaining an important area of cooperation.

Kikina also recalled the history of India-Russia space cooperation, beginning with the launch of India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, in 1975. The partnership was further strengthened in 1984 when Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel into space.

She noted that India is now developing its own human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, while Indian astronauts have undergone training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Zvezdny Gorodok, Russia.

Cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev said the Roscosmos State Corporation, the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in India and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had also organised a joint competition highlighting cooperation between Russia and India in space.

According to Fedyaev, the winning entries from the competition were showcased alongside the Independence Day message.

The Russian cosmonauts wished India peace and prosperity on its Independence Day and expressed hope that dreams of space exploration would inspire future generations.

“Let the dreams inspire future generations to achieve new victories in the exploration of outer space. Long live India-Russia friendship!” Fedyaev said.