Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 10 (ANI): With world leaders starting to arrive in India ahead of the much-anticipated BRICS Summit over the weekend, three Russian transport aircraft were spotted touching down at the Noida International Airport. 

Their arrival comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in New Delhi to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit. The visit would also see a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi which is likely on Friday ahead of the multilateral event. 

Earlier, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov detailed expectations for the high-level engagement, confirming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with the Russian leader which is likely on Friday, September 11.

Speaking to reporters via a virtual briefing from Moscow, Peskov said, 'We're looking forward to the President and Prime Minister having another bilateral meeting during the visit. It is scheduled. It is scheduled for Friday, so first, like always, they will touch on the bilateral agenda. Trade and economic cooperation is a very wide scope.'

Ahead of the Summit, Peskov stated that the Russian President's visit is an opportunity for the two countries to discuss issues of bilateral relations, while also wishing India success in hosting the summit.

Elaborating further, Peskov added, 'In a couple of days, President Putin will begin his India visit. You know that our two leaders, Indian and Russian leaders, are in a very close personal contact. They are very pragmatic in their relationship, and they are as sincere as to be able to discuss in a very open and constructive way the most sensitive issues of our agenda and our bilateral relations. Of course, it opens additional horizons for our cooperation.'

'We have no doubt that the summit will be successful. Russia, we are doing our best to contribute to further development of BRICS cooperation in the three main pillars of our interaction. So, those are policy and security, economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian contexts. So, we are supporting the idea of inviting new countries to join different formats within BRICS,' he noted.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026 with the theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. (ANI)