Claim: Reuters has confirmed that Pakistan downed “42 Rafale jets” of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and that the publication “got access to debris” of all the aircraft “in the presence of DGISPR”.
Fact: Reuters never published such a story nor posted it on its X account. The screenshot in question is doctored.
In the second week of May 2025, Facebook user ‘Anas Butt Mohammad’ shared (archive) a screenshot of an X post allegedly by Reuters, containing a news card with an image of two Dassault Rafale fighter jets of the IAF and the following headline:
“Reuters got access to debris of all 42 downed Rafale jets in the presence of DGISPR.”
The purported X post by Reuters is accompanied by the caption, “Reuters confirms 42 Rafale jets downed by Pakistani JF-17 Thunder”. According to the screenshot, it was posted at 20:10 on 11 May 2025 and garnered over 210,000 views.
The Facebook post in question has since been deleted.
Pakistan-India conflict
In one of the most intense military escalations in decades, Pakistan and India exchanged drones, fire, shelling, and missiles for four days in May 2025, resulting in dozens of casualties on both sides. The conflict raised fears of a nuclear war between the two arch-enemies, which have previously fought three wars over the disputed Kashmir region, a part of which is now controlled by each of the two countries.
So far, the total death toll stands at 51, including “40 civilians and 11 military service members”, while close to 200, including 121 civilians, were wounded, according to the Pakistan Army. On the other hand, India announced that 21 civilians and five soldiers died.
On 10 May, a ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump, who wrote on his Truth Social platform:
“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump’s announcement came after US State Secretary Marco Rubio spoke separately to Pakistan Army Chief Gen Syed Asim Munir, Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours was confirmed by Dar, who wrote: “Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also confirmed the same, saying his country and Pakistan would “stop all firing and military action on land, air, and sea” with effect from 5 pm IST, or 4:30 pm PKT.
In an X post, Jaishankar wrote, “India and Pakistan have today worked out an understanding on stoppage of firing and military action. India has consistently maintained a firm and uncompromising stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It will continue to do so.”
Shortly afterwards, CNN reported quoting an Indian source that the ceasefire was “worked out ‘directly between’ India and Pakistan, despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the ceasefire was the result of a night of US mediation”. The same was said by Misri and New Delhi’s Ministry of Information.
On the other hand, Pakistan expressed gratitude to the US, with PM Sharif thanking Trump “for his leadership and proactive role”, as well as Vice President JD Vance and Rubio “for their valuable contributions for peace in South Asia”.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check searched Reuters’ X timeline for any posts containing “confirms,” “42,” and “Rafale” from May 2025; there were nine captions that included the word “confirms,” four using the number “42,” and zero with the name “Rafale.” However, none were related to the India-Pakistan conflict.
Interestingly, we also noticed that a short link, usually “reut.rs/” followed by a unique article code, is included in the caption of an X post but it is missing in the viral screenshot.
Moreover, even Pakistan itself has claimed that it shot down half a dozen Indian fighter jets, out of which three were Rafales, not 42.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that six aircraft were downed by Pakistan, the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on 15 May. The premier made the claim less than a week after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Aurangzeb Ahmed provided “evidence of the five downed Indian fighter jets”.
On 7 May, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had cited the same number of five jets.
According to Al Jazeera, AVM Ahmed said there were three Rafales, an MiG-29, and an Su-30 among the five aircraft downed by Pakistan. At least 60 Indian aircraft, including 14 Rafales, were used by India, while Islamabad deployed 42, including American F-16s and Chinese JF-17s and J-10s, he added.
However, international publications have reported lower numbers.
CNN quoted a “high-ranking French intelligence official” as confirming that “one Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force was downed by Pakistan”.
Al Jazeera and Reuters reported, quoting Indian security and local government sources, that three fighter jets crashed inside India-controlled territory. Given that no Pakistani plane entered Indian territory, the fallen aircraft were likely Indian.
US officials told Reuters that Pakistan shot down two Indian fighter aircraft.
The Washington Post, CNN, and The Associated Press also said that two Indian jets had crashed during the four-day military confrontation.
India has neither confirmed nor denied claims of a Rafale being downed; however, the director-general of the IAF’s Air Operations, Air Marshal Awadesh Kumar Bharti, told reporters on 11 May, “We are in a combat scenario and losses are a part of it. […] As for details, at this time I would not like to comment on that as we are still in combat and give advantage to [the] adversary. All our pilots are back home.”
Separately, we also noticed grammatical and tonal errors in the headline purportedly run by Reuters, according to the screenshot in question. “Got access” is past tense, something the publication would not use, nor would it imply a confirmation such as “all 42 downed Rafale jets”.
The outlet also does not typically use the phrase “in the presence of DGISPR”. In fact, Reuters does not appear to have ever used the term “DGISPR”; rather, it normally writes “Pakistan Army spokesman”, “director general of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR)”, “chief spokesman for Pakistan’s armed forces”, “main military spokesman”, and “head of the military press wing”.
Moreover, India currently only has a total of 36 Rafale fighter jets, according to the aircraft’s deployment history available on the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation’s website and a Reuters report. These “were first ordered in 2016 and began arriving in 2020” to the country, according to CNN.
In April 2025, India and Dassault Aviation signed a deal to buy 26 Rafale Marine jets for the Indian Navy, according to the company and New Delhi’s Press Information Bureau, which said the aircraft included “22 Single-Seater and four Twin-Seater” planes and their delivery “would be completed by 2030”.
Lastly, we were able to trace the likely original X post that was doctored; it is captioned, “Indian air force says losses are part of combat but all pilots back home http://reut.rs/43akCv7,” and includes the link to a story with the same title.
Soch Fact Check has reached out to Reuters for a comment and will update this article upon receiving a response from them.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found that the claim appeared here, here, and here on Facebook, here on X (formerly Twitter), and here on Instagram.
Conclusion: Reuters never published such a story nor shared it on its X account. The screenshot in question is doctored.
Background image in cover photo: Cook aynne
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