Viral video of Indian Army chief admitting to losing six fighter jets against Pakistan during May 2025 conflict

RATING JUSTIFICATION

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

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan performed a reverse image search to identify the original source and a keyword search to corroborate the claim.

Multiple people, including PML-N supporters and pro-military accounts, on social media platform X on January 13, 2026, shared a video of Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi allegedly admitting to the loss of six fighter jets during the May 2025 conflict between India and Pakistan. However, the video is doctored through AI.

Pakistan and India fought in a four-day conflict earlier in May 2025. Indian fighter jets were shot down by the Pakistan Air Force on the night of May 6-7 in response to the Indian Air Force’s late-night missile strikes at six Pakistani sites.

Pakistan took down six Indian jets, including three advanced French Rafale planes. According to a Dawn report, three Rafales, one Su-30MKI, one Mirage 2000 and one MiG-29 were downed within a 40-minute span. Not one Pakistani jet crossed the border or engaged in close combat.

HOW IT STARTED

On Jan 13, an X account, that appears to be a PML-N supporter based upon its background picture and past posts, shared a video with the following caption: “Finally, yielding to Trump’s persistent demand, the Indian Army chief has admitted that Pakistan shot down our six aircraft. Additionally, he stated that we will need to adjust our strategy to prevent further damage to our air force. That is it, he has raised questions even on their own air force chief. Long live Pakistan forever.”

The transcription of the video is provided below:

“Now the battle of the future will not be won by a single arm or even a single service; it will be a national-level enterprise. The prime minister captured this vision through the mantra of JAI, where jointness integrates our effort, Atma Nirbharta (self-reliance) empowers our capability and accelerated innovation drives ideas into action. So, based on the lessons drawn during Operation Sindoor and after losses of the IAF resulting in six jets down, and in line with the Indian Army’s belief that change must come at the velocity of relevance.”

The post gained 57,600 views.

The same video with a similar claim was also shared by a pro-military account based on its past posts with the following caption: “Breaking news: The Indian Army chief has admitted that six aircraft were lost, stating that ‘in any future conflict, we will have to fight with a better strategy to prevent further losses to the Indian Air Force.’”

The post gained 67,000 views.

The same post was also reshared by multiple users on X, as can be seen here, here, here, here,  here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here; collectively gaining more than 40,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the military conflict between India and Pakistan.

A keyword search yielded no news reports from mainstream, credible Indian media outlets that covered any such alleged admission by the Indian Army chief.

A reverse image search yielded the original full video of General Dwivedi’s annual press conference on Jan 13, as posted by ANI News on its official YouTube channel.

The part featured in the viral clip starts at the 7:42-hour mark of the full video, where Gen Dwivedi can be heard talking about the Indian future of battles.

The transcription of the video’s part that corresponds with the viral video is provided below:

“Now the battle of the future will not be won by a single arm or even a single service; it will be a national-level enterprise. The prime minister captured this vision through the mantra of JAI, where jointness integrates our effort, Atma Nirbharta (self-reliance) empowers our capability and accelerated innovation drives ideas into action. So, based on the lessons drawn during Operation Sindoor and in line with the Indian Army’s belief that change must come at the velocity of relevance.”

The transcription makes it clear that the following extra line, “after losses of the IAF resulting in six jets down”, was added to the viral video.

The same press briefing was also shared by other Indian news agencies, such as WION, The Tribune and HW News English, on their official YouTube channels on Jan 13, 2026.

The annual press briefing was reported by many other mainstream Indian media outlets and none mentioned any such admission regarding the downed jets, as can be seen in reports by NDTV, Hindustan Times, The Hindu and India Today.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows the Indian Army chief admitting to losing six fighter jets during the May 2025 conflict is false.

The video is doctored and has been dubbed over through AI.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

Jan 13, 2026, ANI News YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb9ftcDguKk

Jan 13, 2026, The Tribune YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC4CxM437ms

Jan 13, 2026, WION YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKZLICh7epg

Jan 13, 2026, NDTV news report:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pakistan-epicentre-of-terrorism-army-chief-general-upendra-dwivedi-7466211

Jan 13, 2026, Hindustan Times news report:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-led-to-pakistans-surrender-during-op-sindoor-army-chief-upendra-dwivedi-speaks-of-2-turning-points-101768298343868.html

Jan 13, 2026, India Today news report:
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/have-told-pak-to-rein-in-its-drones-says-army-chief-general-upendra-dwivedi-as-uav-sightings-rise-near-loc-2851126-2026-01-13