Amidst the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan (here, here, & here), several videos are going viral on social media, claiming to show visuals from the recent clashes. On the night of 8–9 May 2025, both countries reportedly engaged in intense aerial and drone warfare following India’s Operation Sindoor. Let’s verify the claims made in the posts through this article.
Claim: The video shows recent clashes between India and Pakistan following India’s Operation Sindoor.
Fact: The viral videos are not real visuals from the recent India–Pakistan clashes. They are simulation videos with realistic-looking graphics. Hence, the claims made in the posts are MISLEADING.
Video 1
The video claims (here, here, and here) to show Pakistan’s AWACS aircraft being shot down by the Indian Army during the recent clashes between the two countries.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to the same footage on the YouTube channel ‘Compared Comparison,’ uploaded on 9 April 2025—well before the India–Pakistan conflict that began after the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025. The video description clearly states that it is a simulated creation made using ArmA 3, a video game known for its highly realistic graphics, which may make fictional scenarios appear real.
Video 2
The video claims (here, here, and here) to show India’s Sudarshan Chakra S-400 system in action in Jalandhar, reportedly used by the Indian Army during the recent clashes between the two countries.
Our investigation revealed that this video was also uploaded on the YouTube channel ‘Compared Comparison’ on 19 February 2022, well before the India–Pakistan conflict that began after the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025. The description confirms that it is a simulation and not a real video.
Additionally, the Government of India’s fact-checking wing, PIB Fact Check, also posted on X, dismissing the claim as fake. They confirmed that the video is from a video game and has been online for over three years, with no connection to the current India–Pakistan situation.
Video 3
The video claims (here, here, and here) to show India’s retaliatory attack showcasing the power of the S-400 air defence system, with an automatic radar-guided strike carried out by India on 8 May 2025 at 9:00 PM.
Our investigation revealed that an extended version of this video was also uploaded on the YouTube channel ‘Compared Comparison’ on 11 October 2023, well before the India–Pakistan conflict that began after the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025. The description confirms that it is a simulation and not a real video.
To sum up, simulation videos are falsely shared as footage of recent clashes between India and Pakistan following India’s Operation Sindoor.
