New Delhi: In what can be best described as an embarassment for India’s media fraternity, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov warned a journalist that security personnel could “take out the gun” if his media briefing was further disrupted.
The video of the tense moment that took place during Lavrov’s visit to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit, has now gone viral.
The Russian minister was answering questions when he was interrupted multiple times by a journalist who was allegedly speaking on the phone. The repeated disturbance prompted Lavrov to pause and ask security officials to intervene, as reported by NDTV.
“Can you just leave us? It’s either you yourself or your phone,” Lavrov said during the exchange before resuming the briefing.
The interruption happened again moments later and this led to a sharper response from the Russian minister.
“Can you leave us? I am not joking. If you don’t surrender your phone, they will take out the gun,” a visibly upset Lavrov said.
He held a series of high-level meetings with Indian leaders during the visit. On Thursday, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed bilateral ties as well as ongoing international conflicts, including the situations in Ukraine and West Asia.
Lavrov briefed the Prime Minister on developments in India-Russia cooperation since the meeting between PM Modi and Russian president Vladimir Putin during the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit held in December 2025, the PMO reported.
PM Modi also shared a post on X in which he appreciated the update provided by Lavrov regarding progress in the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” between India and Russia.
During the exchange of views on key geopolitical developments including Ukraine and West Asia, the Indian Prime Minister reiterated the country’s longstanding position supporting the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Lavrov also held bilateral talks with external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday. The discussions covered regional and global issues as well as cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow across multiple sectors.
Jaishankar spoke about the meeting later and said the India-Russia partnership has continued to grow despite ongoing global uncertainties and geopolitical tensions.
Moscow continues to support India’s priorities on major international platforms, including BRICS, the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the G20, Lavrov said.
