Fact Check: India’s S-400 defence system goes down in Pakistan’s airstrikes? No, here are the facts
An image has been circulating online, claiming to show India’s S-400 system destroyed by Pakistan, in retaliation for Operation Sindoor.
By Md Mahfooz Alam
Claim:The image shows India’s S-400 defence system destroyed by Pakistan.
Fact:The claim is false. The image shows a Russian S-400 defence system destroyed by Ukraine in 2024.
Hyderabad: After India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, conducting missile strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure, Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyan al-Marsus, claiming to have targeted multiple Indian military installations, including airbases and S-400 air defence systems at Adampur.
In this context, an image has been circulating claiming to show India’s S-400 system destroyed by Pakistan.
One X user shared the image with the caption, “S-400 radar down—Indian tears at full blast. #IndiaPakistanWar.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The image shows the Russian S-400 system destroyed by Ukraine in 2024.
Upon conducting a reverse image search, we found the image in a video published by Warthog Defence on May 24, 2024. Warthog Defence is a US-based, verified YouTube channel that focuses on military news, analysis and storytelling.
According to the channel, Ukraine used US-supplied ATACMS missiles to destroy a Russian S-300/S-400 air defence system in Donetsk.
We also found the image published by the Ukrainian media outlet LB.ua and Militarnyi, a Ukrainian defence-focused news platform, in reports released in May 2024.
According to these reports, the image shows the destroyed Russian 96L6E radar, part of the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, following a Ukrainian strike on May 22, 2024. The reports state that Ukrainian forces successfully targeted a Russian S-400 air defence system located near the Mospyne airfield in the Donetsk region, using US-supplied ATACMS missiles. The precision strike, which occurred around 12:50 pm local time, reportedly destroyed two S-300/400 launchers, damaged one launcher, and the destruction of both the 96L6E radar and the system’s control post.
Did Pakistan destroy India’s S-400 defence system?
On May 13, Hindustan Times published a report titled ‘With S-400 in backdrop, PM Modi’s salute at Adampur air base junks Pakistan’s claims.’
The report highlights prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Adampur Air Force Base in Punjab, describing it as a clear rebuttal to Pakistan’s claims that it had struck the base and destroyed an S-400 air defence system.
Among the images shared by PM Modi from the visit, one stood out, a rare photograph of him saluting with the S-400 system visible in the background, seen as a symbolic message countering Pakistan’s narrative.
What is the S-400 defence system?
The Indian Air Force used the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system to counter Pakistan’s escalation following Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist sites in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
Regarded as one of the world’s most advanced long-range air defence systems, the S-400 can engage almost all types of modern aircraft. Its radar has a tracking range of up to 600 km. The system consists of three main components—missile launchers, a high-powered radar, and a command centre. It is capable of intercepting aircraft, cruise missiles, and fast-moving intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
Therefore, we conclude that the claim that the image shows India’s S-400 system destroyed by Pakistan is false.
