Video Claiming To Show Rajnath Singh Admitting To India Losing 4 Rafale Jets During Op Sindoor Is Manipulated

A video circulating on social media claims that Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh admitted to the loss of four Rafale jets during the May 2025 escalation with Pakistan. 

In the clip, he is purportedly heard saying:

“If we wanted, we could have attacked the military establishment as well, but we did not do so. Because if this time our four Rafales had fallen, then any such attack could have destroyed more than 20 of our cities in 30 seconds. That is why we adopted politics, and later saw how successful this decision of Modi ji was, that Pakistan undoubtedly hit us a little, but we did not end…”

Also Read: Pakistani Actress Wrongly Identified As Wife Of PAF Officer Killed In Operation Sindoor

No Credible Reports

A Google search using keywords like “Rajnath Singh admits four Rafale losses” showed no credible media reports/official releases substantiating the viral claim.

Original Video

A reverse image search of keyframes led to a September 22, 2025 YouTube livestream by news agency ANI, whose watermark appears in the viral clip.

In the authentic footage, Rajnath Singh is heard saying (around 29 minutes):

“…If we had wanted, we could have attacked the military establishment. If we had wanted, we could have attacked the civilian establishment as well. But we did not. This is India’s way. We must protect and preserve India’s character. We must maintain it. Under no circumstances should there be any sign of aggression in this regard…”

This confirms that the viral video has been manipulated to insert false statements about Rafale jet losses.

Audio and Visual Analysis

The audio abruptly changes at the 7-second mark where the false claim is inserted. The viral segment shows unnatural lip movements and distorted jaw frames. While most AI detection tools did not give positive results, Resemble AI flagged the audio as fake, and ElevenLabs concluded there is a 78% likelihood that the voice was generated using its platform. 

Pattern of Manipulated Videos

Newschecker has previously debunked several deepfake videos targeting Indian ministers and top defence officials. These manipulated clips were deliberately edited to falsely portray officials admitting to military losses during Operation Sindoor, often using AI-generated audio or altered visuals to mislead viewers and create confusion. Our debunks on the same can be seen here, here and here.

Also Read: Video Of Cloudburst In Kolkata? No, It Shows Water Pipe Burst In Assam

Q1. Did Rajnath Singh admit to Rafale jet losses?
No. The defence minister’s actual speech contains no mention of any such losses. The viral video is edited.

Q2. When and where was the original speech given?
The authentic speech was delivered on September 22, 2025, during an interaction with the Indian community in Morocco. 

Q3. How was the viral video identified as false?
Keyframe analysis traced it to the official livestream, and audio-visual inconsistencies indicated manipulation. 

Q4. Has Newschecker debunked similar manipulated videos before?
Yes. Newschecker has debunked multiple videos showing Indian ministers or defence officials making false claims about Operation Sindoor, often circulated to spread misleading narratives.

Sources
YouTube Video By ANI, Dated September 22, 2025
Resemble AI Website
ElevenLabs Website