In May 2025, Pakistan conducted Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos as a retaliatory military operation following India’s Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Pakistan claimed to have struck multiple Indian military targets, including air bases and defense systems. However, several of these claims have been challenged by satellite imagery analysis and other evidence, as outlined below.
Claim of Damage to a Su-30 at Adampur Air Base
Pakistan claimed a direct hit on a Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft at Adampur Air Base in Punjab, India, during Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. An image circulated to support this claim was said to depict battle damage. Analysis by satellite imagery expert Damien Symon revealed that the image, dated March 2025, predates the conflict and shows a MiG-29 undergoing routine maintenance. The dark marks near the aircraft, initially presented as evidence of an attack, were identified as soot from an engine test pad, a common occurrence during maintenance activities.
Reality of the mighty S-400 that Pakistan hit
Pakistan also claimed to have destroyed an S-400 air defense system at Bhuj Air Base in Gujarat, India. An image showing dark patches on the base’s apron was presented as evidence of missile strikes. However, analysis confirmed that the image, taken in February 2025, predates the conflict and depicts oil stains or fuel spillage in a vehicle maintenance yard, not damage from an attack. This claim was further undermined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Adampur Air Base on May 13, 2025, where an intact S-400 system was visible.
Pakistan alleged that its strikes caused significant damage to Srinagar Airport, with an image purportedly showing craters from the attack. However, verification of multiple recent images by Damien Symon showed no evidence of such damage. The marks in the circulated image were identified as shadows cast by clouds, not the result of strikes. This claim was deemed manipulated or misinterpreted
Pakistan’s claims of significant military successes against Indian targets during Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos in May 2025 have been largely debunked through satellite imagery and independent analysis. Images used to support claims of damage at Adampur Air Base, Bhuj Air Base, and Srinagar Airport were either predated the conflict or misrepresented routine activities and environmental factors as battle damage
To top it all off, Pakistanis themselves seem to have clocked the absurdity, reportedly slapping up a billboard calling out General Asim Munir and PM Shehbaz Sharif as “losers.” Harsh, but when satellite imagery confirms your propaganda is a fever dream, maybe the billboard’s got a point.
