Fact Check: Old Video of IAF MiG-21 Crash Near Moga Shared With Misleading Claim as Recent

In a swift and coordinated operation lasting just 25 minutes, Indian armed forces launched 24 missiles targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), resulting in the deaths of approximately 70 militants. The strikes, conducted between 1:05 AM and 1:30 AM on May 7, were a joint effort by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force under the codename Operation Sindoor.

At a press conference in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, accompanied by Colonel Sophia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, described the mission as a “measured and proportionate” response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. That incident, blamed on Pakistan-based extremist groups, claimed 26 lives, including a Nepali national, and left several injured.

Amid the aftermath of the strikes, a 54-second video began circulating widely on social media. The clip shows a burning aircraft wreckage at night, surrounded by a crowd of people.

Social media users shared the video with the text, Visuals from the crash site in Punjab's Bathinda where an unidentified aircraft "crashed" LMFAO. The video of the aircraft in flames was shot by locals. It's a Rafale btw.

The screenshot of the claim is mentioned below.

Fact Check:

The claim is misleading. The video is not recent and does not relate to the ongoing India-Pakistan situation; it is from 2021, when an Indian Air Force MiG-21 crashed near Moga in Punjab.

When we investigated the claim, we found no evidence of it being reported by any major media outlet. If such an aircraft had actually taken off from Pakistan and the video was genuine, it is likely that major news networks would have covered it.

When we conducted a reverse image search using a frame from the viral video, we found a matching video on various YouTube channels.

On 21st May 2021, ANI shared a video on their YouTube channel capturing the same incident from a different angle. As of now, the video has gained 5,718 views and was uploaded with the title: 'Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashes near Moga.

On 21st May 2022 Hindustan Times uploaded the same video in their YouTube Channel with the Title, IAF pilot killed in MiG-21 Bison crash near Punjab's Moga.

In the description, Hindustan Times mentioned: 'An IAF pilot was killed after his MiG-21 aircraft crashed near Punjab's Moga. Condoling the tragic loss, the IAF said it stands firmly with the bereaved family. The aircraft was on a routine training sortie when the accident occurred. The Air Force lost Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary in the incident. A Court of Inquiry (CoI) has been ordered to probe the cause of the crash.

The Print shared the video with the title, Indian Air Force pilot killed as MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashes near Moga in Punjab.

It proves that the viral video is from Punjab but is not related to the ongoing India-Pakistan situation.

When we searched for the relevant keyword we found India Today published in brief, A pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was killed after a MiG-21 aircraft crashed near Moga in Punjab in the wee hours of 20th  May, officials said. The incident took place around 1 am on 20th when the Mig-21 of the IAF crashed at Langiana Khurd village of Baghapurana in Moga. The IAF aircraft was on a routine training sortie when the accident happened, the air force officials said. There was an aircraft accident last night involving a Bison aircraft of the IAF in the western sector. The pilot, Sqn Ldr Abhinav Choudhary, sustained fatal injuries. IAF condoles the tragic loss and stands firmly with the bereaved family," the Indian Air Forces said on Twitter. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, IAF said. Moga Superintendent of Police Gurdeep Singh said, “The aircraft crashed in a field and caught fire. It was raining heavily at the time,” and added that there was no other loss of life or damage to property. He said the pilot appeared to have deployed a parachute in a bid to land safely. “It seems he broke his neck upon impact on the ground,” he added.

Times of India Published: A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed late 20th May night in the fields near Langeana Khurd village of Moga district in Punjab. The pilot, Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary, has died in the crash. Choudhary's body was found about 2kms away from the crash site following four hours of the crash.

IAF pilot killed after MiG-21 jet crashes in Punjab's Moga Published by Hindustan Times

Hence we found the claim is Misleading. The video is neither recent nor connected to the current India-Pakistan situation; it dates back to 2021, when an Indian Air Force MiG-21 crashed near Moga in Punjab.