Fake video of Jaishankar claiming loss of Rafale Jets goes viral; Fact-Check reveals AI manipulation
New Delhi: A video circulating on social media claiming that India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar admitted to the loss of three Rafale fighter jets during a recent conflict with Pakistan has been found to be digitally altered using artificial intelligence tools.
The video, shared widely on social media platforms including X, shows Dr. Jaishankar allegedly stating that India lost three Rafales after Pakistan retaliated during the military standoff that followed India’s strike on terrorist infrastructure in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
An X user who shared the video captioned it, “India's EAM Jaishankar has finally admitted the loss of multiple fighter jets to Pakistan, including three Rafales. It was very unfair of Pakistan to target Indian jets, said Dr Jaishankar.”
However, a fact-check investigation has found that the video is fake and that the statement being attributed to Jaishankar was never made.
Fact Check and Verification
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led investigators to the original footage uploaded by Newsweek on its official YouTube channel on July 1. The 49-minute-long video documents a conversation between External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad.
The portion of the viral video in question appears at the 43:05 mark in the original recording. In that section, Jaishankar is heard saying:
“Something that you know, Pakistanis did attack us massively that night. We responded very quickly thereafter. And the next morning, Mr. Rubio called me up and said the Pakistanis were ready to talk.”
There is no mention whatsoever of India losing three Rafale jets to Pakistan in the original clip.
The fabricated video appears to have had an AI-generated audio layer inserted over the original, falsely quoting Jaishankar as saying:
“We had already lost three Rafales to Pakistan two days ago.”
This line does not exist in the original video and was added using deepfake techniques.
MEA Fact Check Flags Video as Fake
The Ministry of External Affairs’ official fact-checking handle, MEA Fact Check, has also issued a clarification on X, labelling the viral video as doctored and fake.
“A digitally manipulated video of EAM Dr. S Jaishankar is being shared with false claims. No such statement was made. Kindly avoid sharing misleading content,” the post read.
Spread Largely Traced to Pakistan-Based Accounts
The fake video is being circulated largely by accounts based in Pakistan, as per social media analysis. The objective appears to be to push false narratives around the recent India-Pakistan confrontation.
This incident once again highlights the dangers of AI-generated misinformation in sensitive geopolitical contexts, and the importance of verifying information from reliable sources before believing or sharing it.
Background
India and Pakistan entered a ceasefire agreement over 50 days ago following heightened tensions after a terror attack in Pahalgam. India had carried out strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, which was followed by retaliatory moves from Islamabad. Since then, both countries have returned to diplomatic channels to de-escalate the situation.
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UP Cong chief Ajay Rai hospitalised after fainting, stable
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai was hospitalised here after he fell unconscious due to low sodium levels, party leaders said on Saturday.
They said he was admitted to Medanta Hospital on Friday evening and is stable.
"Ajay Rai was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Lucknow at around 6 pm on Friday after he fell unconscious as his sodium levels had dropped. He fell unconscious at his residence in Lucknow. For the entire day, he was engaged in party programmes and had also gone to the airport," Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi told PTI.
Congress in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pande told PTI, "Now, he (Ajay Rai) is stable and I am also reaching Lucknow."
Medanta Hospital Director Dr Rakesh Kapoor told PTI that Rai collapsed at his home on Friday evening and was subsequently admitted to the hospital's emergency ward.
Medical examinations revealed that Rai was suffering from a sodium deficiency and elevated blood pressure. Doctors administered immediate treatment and he is doing significantly better now, Kapoor said.
A team of doctors is monitoring his health. Rai is conversing with others and his condition is stable, he added.
In a post on X late Friday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Rai a speedy recovery.
Rai hails from Varanasi and had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against Modi from the parliamentary constituency. The Congress appointed him as the Uttar Pradesh unit chief in 2023.
