Retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra said India’s Russian-made S-400 air defence system played a key role during Operation Sindoor, keeping Pakistani fighter jets from approaching within 200 km of the border. He claimed Pakistan used satellite support, spies and sleeper cells to locate the systems, which intercepted aircraft and reportedly achieved a 314-km surface-to-air kill.
Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra (Retd) has said that the Russian-made S-400 air defence system played a crucial role in preventing Pakistani fighter jets from coming within 200 kilometres of India’s border during Operation Sindoor.
Mishra said Pakistan was “desperate” to locate India’s S-400 systems and went to considerable lengths to identify their positions. According to him, Islamabad not only relied on satellite assistance from other countries but also attempted to use espionage networks and sleeper cells operating inside India.
“Pakistanis were desperate to find where these S-400s were. They used every trick in the book. They were also getting satellite help from other nations,” Mishra said.
EP-444 with Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra (Retd) premieres today at 5 PM IST | Promo
“There was not a single restriction. It was left to the military to decide how to fight the war.”
“India could hit anywhere in Pakistan, and Pakistan could do nothing about it.”
“Pakistan… pic.twitter.com/cEiWijTKhr
— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2026
While Mishra did not identify the countries allegedly providing satellite assistance, Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh had previously claimed that China was supplying Pakistan, its ‘all-weather friend’, with real-time information about key Indian military vectors.
Describing the S-400 as the primary concern for Pakistan during the operation, Mishra said the system repeatedly intercepted Pakistani aircraft attempting to approach Indian territory.
“Every time they (Pakistan) got airborne, they were shot by an S-400. The S-400 was the biggest threat as far as they were concerned. They also activated spies and sleeper cells within India to find out where the S-400s were located,” the air marshal said.
What Is The S-400?
The S-400, which India refers to as the “Sudarshan Chakra”, is a Russian-developed mobile, long-range surface-to-air missile system designed to detect and engage multiple types of aerial threats. Its capabilities allow it to form a layered air-defence shield over strategically important areas.
Operation Sindoor comprised a series of precision strikes carried out by India during the night of May 7-8, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 25 Indian tourists were killed.
Mishra said the armed forces had been given considerable operational freedom by the government, but there was a clear instruction to minimise civilian harm. “The direction was there should be no collateral. We don’t want common citizens to be affected. Only terrorists and their handlers are to be punished. We are not a war-mongering state,” Mishra said.
