Fact Check: Is This Image of India’s S-400 Destroyed by Pakistan?

Claim: A viral photograph shows India’s S-400 long-range missile system destroyed by Pakistan during the recent military escalation between the two countries.

Verdict: False – The image is not from India. It actually shows a Russian S-400 missile system destroyed by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk, Ukraine, in May 2024. Indian authorities have officially denied any such attack or loss.

What Is Being Claimed?

Multiple posts on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and WhatsApp claim that the Indian S-400 missile defense system was destroyed by a Pakistani JF-17 fighter jet during recent India-Pakistan clashes. The viral image shows charred and damaged military equipment, and is being widely shared with the caption that Pakistan successfully neutralized India’s strategic missile defense base.

Some posts even claim that the S-400 was destroyed in retaliation for Indian airstrikes and that a BrahMos missile base was also targeted.

What We Found

1. Image Is From Ukraine, Not India

A reverse image search using Google Lens traced the viral image to a report published by Defense Express, a Ukraine-based defense media outlet, on May 23, 2024. The image was described as showing a Russian S-400 system destroyed by Ukrainian missile engineers in the Mospyne district of Donetsk, a Russian-occupied region in eastern Ukraine.

2. Confirmed by Multiple Ukrainian Outlets

The same image appeared in another Ukrainian news report by Oboz.ua, also dated May 23, 2024. The outlet reported that a Russian military base near Mospyne was hit around 12:50 PM on May 22, leading to the destruction of multiple pieces of Russian military equipment, including air defense systems.

The attack was reportedly confirmed by a Telegram channel named “Spy Dossier,” which claims affiliation with Ukrainian intelligence services.

3. Featured in Global Defense Video Channels

The same photograph and video footage of the incident were also featured in a YouTube video by the popular defense commentary channel Warthog Defense titled:
“A VIDEO OF THE US ATACMS MISSILES ATTACK ON RUSSIAN S-300/400 SYSTEM IN DONETSK || 2024.”

4. No Indian S-400 Was Damaged, Says Government

India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check debunked the viral claims, stating:

“Reports of destruction or any damage to an S-400 system are baseless.”

Moreover, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, during a post-ceasefire press briefing, clarified:

“Pakistan claimed that it damaged our S-400 and BrahMos missile base with its JF-17, which is completely wrong.”

Conclusion

The viral image claiming to show the destruction of India’s S-400 system by Pakistan is completely misleading. The photograph is from Ukraine, not India, and shows the Russian S-400 air defense system hit by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk. There is no evidence or official confirmation that Pakistan destroyed any Indian S-400 missile system during recent tensions. The claim is part of a misinformation campaign spread through unverified social media handles.