Viral video does not show Putin escorted by Indian airforce for state visit; is from 2017 Syria trip

none@none.com (CEJ) — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 23:50:14 +0500

CLAIM

Viral video of Russian President Putin escorted by Indian airforce jets ahead of visit

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted a keyword and reverse image search to find the original source.

Multiple Indian accounts on social media platform X shared a video on December 4, 2025, showing Russian President Vladimir Putin in an aeroplane being escorted by fighter jets claimed to be of the Indian Air Force (IAF). However, the video is old from his visit to Syria.

Putin arrived in India on Dec 4 for a two-day visit aimed at deepening defence ties, as New Delhi faces heavy United States pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow. He was welcomed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a hug and a red carpet.

Putin, on his first visit to India since the Ukraine war, is accompanied by his Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, with possible deals on fighter jets and air defence systems expected to be discussed.

HOW IT STARTED

On Dec 4, an Indian account on X, with a history of sharing pro-Modi propaganda, shared a video of Putin in an aeroplane looking outside the window towards fighter jets escorting him.

The caption said: “IAF fighter jets escorting President Putin’s airplane while entering Indian Airspace. Long live India-Russia Friendship.”

The post racked up 209,700 views and 6,500 likes.

Another Indian account, belonging to the deputy state commander of Northern Command (Haryana) as per its bio on X, also shared the video with the caption: “Indian Air Force fighter jets are escorting President Putin’s aircraft as it enters Indian airspace.”

The post gathered about 15,000 views.

Subsequently, other Indian and some Afghan accounts quickly shared the video, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The clip was also shared on Instagram, as seen here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the recent geopolitical developments.

A reverse image search yielded a video by Al Jazeera Arabic dated September 23, 2018, with the title: “Russia reveals details of its plane being shot down in Syria.”

At the 1:22-minute mark of the video, the exact same visuals as those in the viral clip are aired.

Moreover, a photo of Putin sitting in the aeroplane was also shared on the President of Russia website, dated Dec 11, 2017. Its caption read: “Flying to the Khmeimim air base in Syria.”

Getty Images also shared a photo showing fighter jets escorting Putin’s aeroplane. The visual is similar to that in the video.

The caption of the image read: “Fighter jets escort the plane, carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin (not seen), as he visits Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia, Syria on December 11, 2017.”

The search also yielded YouTube videos as old as 2017, as can be seen here and here, featuring the same visuals.

Separately, a keyword search yielded several international news articles by Iran’s Pars Today, Thailand’s Nation TV and Russia’s cenznet.

They reported that two fighter jets escorted Putin’s plane during his visit to the Khmeimim airbase — located southeast of Latakia in Syria — in December 2017.

The news articles identified the fighter jets as Sukhoi Su-30, adding that during the visit, Putin had announced the completion of Russia’s counter-terrorism mission and withdrawal of troops from Syria.