A video of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Anil Chauhan is going viral on social media (here, here, and here). In the video, he is allegedly heard saying that India lost seven fighter jets during the clash with Pakistan in Operation Sindoor and that India also requested a ceasefire. Let’s verify the claim made in the post in this article.
Claim: The video shows Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan stating that India lost seven fighter jets and requested a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor.
Fact: The viral clip is digitally manipulated. The line about India losing seven fighter jets and requesting a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor is not part of CDS Anil Chauhan’s original speech, delivered on 25 July 2025 at the Capstone Seminar in Delhi. The viral video was created by adding fake audio to visuals from his actual speech. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check also confirmed on 26 July 2025 that the video is an AI-generated deepfake and that CDS Anil Chauhan made no such statement. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We conducted a Google keyword search to determine whether Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan had made any statement indicating that India lost seven jets in Operation Sindoor and requested a ceasefire. However, we found no media reports supporting such a statement.
We then noticed that the viral video carries a logo resembling that of the ANI news agency. To verify its source, we searched ANI’s official YouTube channel. We found an extended version of the same video published on 25 July 2025, titled “LIVE: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan remarks at Capstone Seminar | Indian Air Force.”
The description of the video revealed that it was recorded in Delhi during a Capstone Seminar jointly organised by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS). General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, was the Chief Guest. The event was attended by senior defence officers (serving and retired) and civilian dignitaries. It also mentioned that no media interaction was planned during the seminar. The event took place at 9:30 AM at the Main Hall, Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park.
We reviewed the entire speech delivered by CDS Anil Chauhan at the seminar and found no mention of India losing seven aircraft during the conflict with Pakistan or India requesting a ceasefire, which confirms that the viral video has been digitally manipulated. The audio heard in the clip was digitally added to the visuals from the original speech and is not part of General Chauhan’s actual address.
Additionally, we found an X post by PIB Fact Check dated 26 July 2025, which debunked the viral video. It stated that a manipulated video is being circulated online, falsely showing Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan admitting to the loss of seven jets and claiming that India requested a ceasefire. PIB clarified that this is an AI-generated deepfake video and that General Chauhan has made no such statement.
To sum up, this viral video of CDS Anil Chauhan stating that India lost seven fighter jets and requested a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor is digitally manipulated.
