Pakistan-based accounts are once again circulating the claim that India has “finally admitted” its S-400 was damaged by Pakistan. To support this, they are sharing a report from the outlet IDRW, which highlights Gallantry Award winner Sgt. Bhale Singh’s account of repairing an S-400 launcher under fire. However, these accounts are misrepresenting the report by linking it to the fake claim that Pakistan destroyed the S-400 system.
Multiple other users were also found who shared the claim, which can be viewed here and here.
Fact Check
Upon investigation, the claim has been found to be fake. No such news has been reported in media outlets, nor has there been any official confirmation.
On May 10, 2025, Pakistani state media claimed that its JF-17 Thunder jets had destroyed an S-400 air defense system at Adampur using hypersonic missiles. Similar false claims about the destruction of the S-400 have circulated multiple times, all of which were immediately rejected by the Indian Defence Ministry.
An article by idrw mentioned Gallantry Award recipient Sergeant Bhale Singh, who retired on June 30. Speaking to NDTV Rajasthan, Singh shared his experience as an S-400 air defence system operator at Adampur Air Base. He revealed that during operations on May 10, his team faced a rare and high-stakes technical challenge while the Pakistan Air Force was attempting to target Indian air defence positions.
According to Singh, one of the S-400 launchers developed a technical malfunction after multiple missile firings. Despite the pressure of combat conditions, Singh and his team managed to repair the launcher within 15 minutes, restoring it to operational status. Following the repairs, the launcher successfully fired two additional missiles, reportedly intercepting an air-launched missile. The team then relocated the launcher in accordance with standard counter-strike protocols, as the PAF was actively trying to track its position.
At no point did the article state that Pakistan had destroyed the S-400.
We have also debunked the Fake news on multiple occasions, which can be viewed here.
Conlusion
Therefore, the claim is fake. No such statement has ever been made by Indian officials. Also, at no point did the article state that Pakistan had destroyed the S-400.
