Bloomberg reports that India’s military has confirmed for the first time that it has lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May, while saying the four-day conflict never came close to the point of nuclear war.
In an interview given to Bloomberg TV, chief of defense staff of the Indian Armed Forces, Anil Chauhan says, “What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down”
While attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chauhan was interviewed by Bloomberg where he declined to specify how many jets India lost. But he didn’t deny the fact that India’s Fighter Jets had been shot down by Pakistan.
India’s military confirmed for the first time that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May.
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) May 31, 2025
Anil Chauhan, chief of defense staff of the Indian Armed Forces, spoke to Bloomberg TV on Saturday, while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in… pic.twitter.com/9y3GW6WJfn
It is worth mentioning that India, initially, denied the loss of their fighter jets including Rafale.
Earlier this month, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well as armed forces claimed that Pakistan shot down six Indian fighter jets, an assertion that hasn’t been independently verified. India’s government had earlier refrained from commenting on whether it lost aircraft in the fighting.
Chauhan also declined to comment on President Donald Trump’s claim that the US helped to avert a nuclear war, but said it was “far-fetched” to suggest either side was close to using atomic weapons.
