India, Russia to sign S-400 missile deal this week: Kremlin

New Delhi, Oct 2: India and Russia will sign a deal for the multi-billion-dollar S-400 surface-to-air missile system this week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will oversee the signing of a USD 5 billion deal this week to supply Delhi with S-400 air defence systems, a top Kremlin aide said on Tuesday ahead of Putin's visit, reported AFP.

"The president is leaving for India on October 4," Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.

"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems," he said. "The value of the contract will be more than USD 5 billion."

Moscow has been negotiating to sell the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles to India for months.

The sale has irked India's defence partner Washington, which has wanted to wean India off Russian technology, and a senior Pentagon official said in August that sanctions against India would come under consideration if its purchase goes through.

India has signalled it will ask Washington for a special waiver from sanctions, though a US official last week said there is no guarantee it would do so.

The US had last month warned against the deal, saying it would be considered as a "significant transaction" and has a potential for imposing tough US sanctions.

US President Donald Trump had last month signed an executive order, paving the way for slapping crippling sanctions on countries and foreign entities and individuals violating the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

After signing of the order, the US imposed sanctions on China, an Equipment Development Department under China's Ministry of Defence and its director Li Shangfu for its recent purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missile.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)