Pakistan's Claim Of Destroying Su-30 Fighter At Adampur Air Base Debunked By Expert
Pakistan was once again left red-faced after its claim that its army had attacked and damaged a Sukhoi-30MKI at India's Adampur air base during a four-day military conflict last month was refuted by a top OSINT imagery analyst.
In a post on X, Damien Symon, a top OSINT imagery analyst, pointed out that Pakistan used pre-conflict images to promote its narrative about Operation Sindoor.
'New report alleges a direct hit at India's Adampur Air Base by Pakistan damaged a Su-30, however a review reveals this image taken in March 2025, pre-conflict actually shows a MiG-29 undergoing maintenance, the dark soot near the engine test pad is routine, not battle damage,' he said in a post on X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Will Come Back To Haunt You': Jaishankar's Blunt Warning To West On Pak-Sponsored Terrorism
External affairs minister S Jaishankar, who is currently in Brussels to meet the European Union (EU) leaders, had pushed back against the international media's narrative that the India's action 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan following the terror in Kashmir was a tit-for-tat between two nuclear-armed neighbours and questioned the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. In an interview with European news website Euractiv, Jaishankar recalled the October 1947 incident when 'Pakistan sent invaders' and claimed that the Western countries were very supportive of this.#jaishankar #operationsindoor #kashmirterror #osamabinladenpakistan #indiapakistanrelations #euindia #nuclearthreat #europe #terrorism #foreignpolicy #geopolitics #southasiasafety #counterterrorism #internationalrelations #indiadiplomacy #pakistanissue #globalsecurity #indiapakistan #news #toi #toibharat Read More
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
39 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US invites Pakistan Army Chief Munir for Army Day celebrations on June 14
Washington likely to raise terror concerns and China-Pakistan ties during General Munir's visit for US Army's 250th anniversary Himanshu Thakur New Delhi Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (CAOS), General Syed Asim Munir, has been invited by the United States to attend the 250th anniversary of the US Army on June 14, the same day as US President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. General Munir is expected to arrive in Washington, DC on June 12, according to a report by CNN-News18. The visit, while ceremonial on the surface, carries deeper strategic implications. The US is expected to use the occasion to press Pakistan to act against terrorist groups operating against India, especially in the wake of recent tensions triggered by Operation Sindoor, India's retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. Strategic overtones and China concerns Although framed as part of a broader military celebration, the invitation to Munir is viewed as part of Washington's recalibration of its regional strategy. The US is reportedly concerned about Pakistan's deepening economic and military ties with China, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Economic backdrop On May 14, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) disbursed a $1.023 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility, following a broader understanding between New Delhi and Islamabad after Operation Sindoor. Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the national budget for FY 2025–26 on June 10, with a notable 20 per cent increase in defence spending to PKR 2.55 trillion ($9 billion). The budget reflects heightened security concerns following the cross-border conflict with India. The total budget outlay stands at PKR 17.573 trillion ($62 billion), marking a 6.9 per cent decrease from the previous year. Notably, military pensions worth PKR 563 billion ($1.99 billion) remain outside the formal defence allocation. Pakistan's public debt reached PKR 76,000 billion in the first nine months of the fiscal year, with projected GDP growth of just 2.7 per cent, far behind the regional average of 5.8 per cent reported by the Asian Development Bank for 2024.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Pakistan scales up defence budget, but who is really fuelling it?
Pakistan, which already has an overall debt of USD 274 billion, raised its defence budget by 20%. The massive hike from the previous budget comes even as Pakistan has cut its overall budget by 6.9%. This is one of the largest increases in decades and will require the government to slash spending accordingly. The hike in estimated defence expenditure by the 'security-state' comes after Pakistan suffered serious military setbacks from Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor. But how is Pakistan, which seeks loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to repay the old ones, with a massive external debt funding its defence budget, and who is fuelling it?advertisementDefence forces have been allocated almost 14.5% of Pakistan's total annual budget, which is around 1.97% of its Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb unveiled the annual federal budget for FY 2025-26 on June 10. This comes after Pakistan's Planning Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, previously confirmed on May 23 that the federal government would raise its defence budget for the upcoming fiscal year. He cited the recent military escalation with India and New Delhi's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as key factors behind the decision, according to a Pakistani daily, this, Pakistan's federal government approved an 18% hike in defence expenditure. It, too, cited the escalation in tensions with India as a key reason for the defence budget between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May has overused its military muscle and thereby its estimated military expenditure in its proxy wars against India. This, despite the Islamic Republic's lack of hesitation to seek monetary help, is a reality even acknowledged by PM Sharif. Yet, Pakistan continues to secure funding, loans, and bailouts, while evading meaningful accountability in curbing and acting on terror. At this juncture, one must ask: who is really funding Pakistan?PAKISTAN ON BORROWED FUNDS AND SUPPORT1. IMF SUPPORT FOR PAKISTAN: Pakistan has relied heavily on the IMF since 2023, securing a $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement to stabilise its September 2024, the IMF approved a $7 billion loan to cash-strapped IMF funds aren't directly used for military spending, they stabilise Pakistan's economy and allow the government to redirect domestic funds toward defence. This leaves the army-controlled Sharif's government to channel money into the areas where Rawalpindi would want it to be has taken more than 20 loans from the IMF since 1958 and is currently its fifth-largest debtor, noted a BBC a part of the deal, Islamabad agreed to a number of politically unpopular measures, including increasing the amount of tax it collects from people and effect, the IMF creates fiscal breathing space that enables military spending to rise.2. CHINA: BIGGEST EXTERNAL FINANCIER: Pakistan's "Iron-clad brother", China, remains its biggest external financier and key military has decided to seek a rollover of around $12 billion in debt from key allies such as China in the 2024-25 fiscal year to meet a whopping $23 billion worth of gap in its external financing, as the federal government aims to achieve budget targets before the expected arrival of an IMF team to the cash-strapped country, according to a report by The Finance Ministry insiders said $3.7 billion from China will be rolled over, adding that the estimate of further new financing from China would also be included in the next financial year's budget, The Express Tribune newspaper reported in a third of Pakistan's total external debt is owed to China, much of it tied to infrastructure and energy projects under is Pakistan's most significant external financier and arms supplier, which is a well-known just with diplomatic or military cushion, this is how China helps and enables Pakistan to go scot-free. Islamabad knows that, given its strategic location and contemporary geopolitical alignments, Beijing would have its back, even at the cost of huge interest HELP FROM GULF NATIONS: The Arabian states of Western Asia have consistently backed Pakistan through sizeable deposits and loan rollovers to ensure IMF support. In July 2023, Saudi Arabia deposited $2 billion into Pakistan's central bank, and the UAE added $1 billion, significantly bolstering foreign reserves ahead of crucial IMF board decisions, according to Arab recently, the UAE rolled over another $2 billion in January 2024 and again in early in December 2024, Saudi Arabia extended its $3 billion deposit for another top of these, Pakistan's central bank governor has signalled plans to raise up to $4 billion from Gulf-based commercial banks, including Saudi, UAE, and other regional lenders, to plug a $3-5 billion external financing it becomes clear that Pakistan's defence spending is indirectly enabled by a combination of IMF bailouts, Chinese loans, and Gulf deposits. Each lender offers a breathing room to Pakistan which lets it divert funds towards the military. While the IMF doesn't fund armed forces, and China and other lenders may not openly admit it, together they keep afloat the security state that continues to prioritise defence, and its byproduct, terrorism, over Watch
