‘Sensational Report’ On Pak Allegedly Shooting Down Indian Rafale Jets Is Fake

An article by The Telegraph detailing the alleged shooting down of Indian Rafale jets by Pakistan with the help of Chinese missiles. 

The post can be seen here.

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We looked up keywords “India fighter jets”, “ China”, “Pakistan” and “The Telegraph” on Google which yielded a report by the outlet, dated May 8, 2025. The report featured the same headline and sub-head as in the viral post and was authored by ‘Memphis Barker’, the same correspondent mentioned in the claim. 

On examining the article, we found that it did not carry the claims made in the viral post. We did not find any sections, such as ‘Why They Stayed 300 km Away’, ‘This wasn’t a dogfight. It was an ambush’, ‘The Game Has Changed,’ or ‘Strategic Embarrassment,’ in the actual report. 

While the viral post makes claims like the IAF deployed “nearly 180 aircraft on the western front”,  “the goal was to repeat Balakot”, “PL-15 came with AI-guided silence,” “Indian pilot had 9 seconds” among others, the actual report is devoid of any such detail. 

The sensational tone of the viral post, and usage of phrases like “it was a revelation that shattered the myth of India’s air dominance”, “Blinded by radar. And humiliated by silence”, and “Not enough to survive,” among others, made the write-up look more of a thriller piece than a report on real-world conflict. 

The original article begins with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s claims on shooting down three Indian Rafale jets. “India has not officially responded to reports that it lost as many as five fighter jets. But the apparent involvement of Chinese aircraft in shooting down a Rafale has ricocheted through defence circles – and sent stock in its maker, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, surging by as much as 20 per cent,” the article adds. 

It also discusses the military strengths of India and Pakistan, their weaponry source, the features of PL-15 missile, and experts opinions among others, however, it does not feature the claims made in the viral post. 

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Further, we found an X post by journalist Ayush Tiwari (@sighyush), dated May 12, 2025, flagging the viral post and calling it a “fake story.” Notably, it was reposted by Memphis Barker, the writer of the actual article featured in The Telegraph.

Sources
Report By The Telegraph, Dated May 8, 2025
X Post By @sighyush, Dated May 12, 2025