Pakistan-based social media accounts have widely circulated an image showing a destroyed and burned defense system. These accounts claim the image depicts an Indian S-400 air defense system that was destroyed by Pakistani forces.
One X user, Imran (@REALIMRANGUJJAR), posted the image with the caption “S-400 Radar Hit, Andians Cry.”
Another user was also found sharing the same image and the claim.
Fact Check
Upon conducting a reverse image search on Google, we discovered that the viral claim is misleading. The investigation revealed that multiple Ukrainian media outlets and social media posts had previously shared the same image.
A defense blog website published the image on May 24, 2024, with the caption “Ukraine strikes Russian S-400 system with ATACMS missiles.” The report detailed that on May 22 at approximately 12:50 PM, Ukrainian forces conducted a ballistic missile attack targeting a Russian S-400 “Triumf” air defense system located near Klenivka village in the Donetsk region, approximately 65 kilometers from the frontline.
The same image was also found on a YouTube channel called “WARTHOG DEFENSE” in a video uploaded on May 24, 2024. The identical visuals from the viral claim appear at the 0:32 timestamp in that video.
Similarly, another website named, scoopit as well similar image was found with the information given On May 22, at approximately 12:50 PM, Ukrainian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on a Russian S-400 “Triumf” air defense system near the village of Klenivka in the Donetsk region, roughly 65 kilometers from the frontline. The strike utilized ATACMS ballistic missiles with cluster warheads to target the enemy’s air defense in the temporarily occupied territory.
Conclusion
This investigation confirms that the image being circulated by Pakistani accounts shows the aftermath of a Ukrainian strike on a Russian S-400 system in Ukraine, not an Indian system allegedly destroyed by Pakistan.
DFRAC Analysis: Misleading
