Operation Sindoor was launched by India on the night of May 7-8, 2025, following the deadly terror attack in PahalgamIndia carried out precision strikes against terror targets as part of the military operation.
Updated: August 28, 2026, 7:38 AM IST
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‘Pakistan activated spies, sleeper cells to find S-400s’: Ex-Air Marshal makes explosive claim on Operation Sindoor (X.com)
Retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra has said that Russia-made S-400 air defence systems played a key role in stopping Pakistani fighter jets from coming within 200 kilometres of the Indian border during Operation SindoorSpeaking to news agency ANI, Mishra claimed that Pakistan was extremely keen to locate India’s S-400 systems and used various methods to find their positionsHe said Pakistan even activated spies and sleeper cells in India for this purpose.
“Pakistanis were desperate to find where these S-400s wereThey used every trick in the bookThey were also getting satellite help from other nations,” Mishra said.
He did not identify the countries allegedly providing satellite supportHowever, Lieutenant General Rahul RSingh, then Deputy Chief of Army Staff, had earlier said that China was sharing real-time information about India’s key military positions with Pakistan.
Mishra said the S-400 posed the biggest threat to Pakistani aircraft during the operation“Every time they got airborne, they were shot by an S-400,” he said, adding that Pakistan also tried to use its network of spies and sleeper cells to locate the air defence systems.
Mishra said the Indian military was given a free hand by the government during Operation Sindoor, but was clearly instructed to ensure that civilians were not harmed.
“The direction was there should be no collateralWe don’t want common citizens to be affectedOnly terrorists and their handlers are to be punishedWe are not a war-mongering state,” the retired Air Marshal said.
He added that the armed forces were not given any major restrictions on how they should conduct the operation and were allowed to decide their own military strategy.
According to Mishra, India had the capability to strike targets anywhere in Pakistan, while Pakistani forces struggled to respond effectivelyHe recalled an incident involving the S-400 system, saying an airborne target was detected at a distance of 314 kmThe S-400 operator reportedly sought permission to fire, which Mishra granted.
“My S-400 operator asked me if he could shootI said, ‘Shoot.’ And when he shot, we got it at 314 km,” he said.
The S-400, known in India as the “Sudarshan Chakra”, is a Russian-made long-range surface-to-air missile systemIt is designed to detect and engage different types of aerial threats from considerable distances and is considered a key part of India’s air defence network.
Operation Sindoor was launched by India on the night of May 7-8, 2025, following the deadly terror attack in PahalgamIndia carried out precision strikes against terror targets as part of the military operation.
