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.
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.
"There was not a single restriction. It was left to the military to decide how to fight the war," he added.
The air marshal further claimed that India possessed the capability to strike targets anywhere in Pakistan, while Pakistani forces had limited options to respond effectively. He recalled an instance involving an S-400 operator who sought permission to engage an airborne target.
"The only way they could see was through an airborne radar. My S-400 operator asked me if he could shoot. I said, 'Shoot.' And when he shot, we got it at 314 km," he said.
Mishra described the engagement as the longest surface-to-air kill in history.
India and Russia had signed a $5.43-billion agreement in 2018 for the acquisition of five S-400 air defence systems.
