India has effectively denied Tokyo's request to allow Japan's Self-Defense Force planes to land and collect aid supplies for delivery to countries near Ukraine that are hosting people who fled the Russian invasion.

India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a news conference on Thursday that his country had given approval for Japan to pick up such supplies from India using commercial aircraft.

Bagchi said India had also received a request for overflight clearance for Japanese SDF aircraft carrying humanitarian cargo for Ukraine. He added that Japan is "very welcome" to send commercial aircraft to pick up the materials.

Japan's government planned to dispatch SDF aircraft from late April at the request of the UN refugee agency, to transport blankets and other supplies stockpiled in India and the United Arab Emirates to Poland and Romania.

India has purchased a large number of weapons from Russia over many years. The two nations also have deep political ties.

India has not directly criticized Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. But it has repeatedly expressed concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, sending medicines, tents and other relief supplies to the country and nearby nations.