• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Russian cosmonauts greeted India on 80th Independence Day.
  2. Highlighted strong India-Russia space cooperation and friendship.
  3. Cosmonauts held Indian flag and recalled space milestones.

As India celebrated its 80th Independence Day on Saturday, Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) sent special greetings to the people of India. Holding the Indian tricolour, cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev, shared a video message highlighting the long-standing friendship between India and Russia.

Russian Cosmonauts Wish India From Space

The video was shared by the Russian Embassy in India on X. In the video message, cosmonauts congratulated India on its 80th Independence Day and spoke about the decades-old partnership between the two countries in the space sector. “Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Andrey Fedyaev congratulated the people of #India on the occasion of Independence Day from the International Space Station!” the embassy wrote.

65 Years Of Yuri Gagarin’s Historic Flight

Wishing peace and prosperity to Indians, cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov said, “Dear friends, today the Republic of India is celebrating its 80th Independence Day.” The cosmonauts also recalled that 2026 marks 65 years since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space. Anna Kikina recalled Gagarin’s visit to India in November 1961 and spoke about the strong ties between the two countries.

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“The friendship between our two countries has been time-tested, and space exploration is one of our areas of cooperation. It started with the launch of the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, in 1975, followed by the flight of the first Indian cosmonaut, Rakesh Sharma, in 1984,” she said.

They further highlighted key milestones in India-Russia space cooperation. They talked about the Soviet Union’s launch of Aryabhata in 1975, and Rakesh Sharma becoming the first Indian to travel to space in 1984. The cosmonauts recalled Gagarin’s famous appreciation of India, saying: “India is very beautiful from above, but it is even more beautiful on Earth.”

Drawing Competition Celebrating India-Russia Ties

Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev also mentioned a drawing competition organised by Roscosmos and its representative office in India in collaboration with ISRO to celebrate cooperation between the two countries. The three cosmonauts were seen holding the winning artworks while extending their Independence Day wishes. “Long live India-Russia friendship,” Fedyaev said as he held the Indian flag.

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