Islamabad – Indian business daily The Economic Times has published a report, on Monday, alleging that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was operating a spy network in Russia to obtain military air defence system technology. The publication claimed that, during a counter-espionage operation in St. Petersburg, Russian authorities arrested a Russian national accused of trying to smuggle documents used in the development of military helicopter technology and air defence systems, including Mi8AMTShV and Mi8AMTShV (VA) transport helicopters.
The report further asserted that the network was unearthed “months after Operation Sindoor,” in which the Indian Air Force credited Russian-produced S-400 missile defence systems as a decisive advantage. India operates the S-400 and is negotiating the purchase of five additional units. By linking the alleged espionage effort to S-400–related capabilities, the publication reinforces Indian strategic messaging around the system’s perceived superiority.
The timing also coincides with resurfaced claims from Pakistani military circles regarding a May 2025 strike by Pakistan Air Force JF-17 jets equipped with CM-400AKG missiles that destroyed an Indian S-400 radar at Adampur Air Force Station. Pakistani sources framed the incident as a direct challenge to Indian air defence capabilities, while Indian sources dismissed it as propaganda. The Economic Times report appears to counter such narratives by suggesting Pakistani interest in acquiring S-400-related technology.
Report Surfaced Amid Russia–Pakistan Media Dispute Involving The Frontier Post
The publication followed a diplomatic exchange between the Russian Embassy in Islamabad and The Frontier Post. The embassy criticized the newspaper for publishing what it described as a consistent stream of “Russophobic and Western-aligned propaganda.” It highlighted that the outlet’s international operations are run from Washington, D.C., and argued that its editorial approach “prioritized Western geopolitical messaging rather than domestic Pakistani discourse.”
Hindukush Tribune Network’s review traced The Frontier Post’s operational base to a Washington D.C. office linked to Hamdullah Mohib, former Afghan National Security Adviser under Ashraf Ghani. Historically, Mohib’s networks have aligned with Pashtun ethno-nationalist movements, including the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), narratives tied to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and segments of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) critical of Pakistan’s security establishment. The publication has consistently framed the Afghan Taliban as a “benign orthodoxy” while casting Pakistan’s regional security policies in a negative light.
The Russian Embassy criticized the newspaper for portraying Russia as economically weak and militarily constrained, highlighting that these claims contradict official indicators: 4.1% GDP growth in 2024, 8.5% expansion in manufacturing, 2.5% unemployment, and ongoing development of advanced systems like the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and Poseidon underwater drone.
The Embassy further noted that The Frontier Post can hardly be considered “Pakistani,” given its Washington-based operations. Nonetheless, The Economic Times leveraged the Embassy’s critique to fabricate a separate narrative linking the publication to Pakistan, further spinning an unverified espionage claim, despite the absence of any public confirmation by Russian state agencies or a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
Indian Disinformation Networks: A Documented Pattern
The circulation of unverified narratives about Pakistan in Indian media has a well-documented precedent. In 2020, Brussels-based monitoring group EU DisinfoLab released its investigation titled Indian Chronicles, exposing a 15-year-long coordinated disinformation network run by the New Delhi–based Srivastava Group.
The operation revived defunct Non Government Organisations (NGOs) accredited at the United Nations, impersonated EU institutions, and even used the identity of a deceased professor to front advocacy campaigns. Its core objective was to shape discourse at the UN Human Rights Council and European Parliament by undermining Pakistan and amplifying pro-India messaging. EU DisinfoLab described it as the largest disinformation network it had uncovered to date.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported that much of this disinformation is produced and amplified by media and online ecosystems aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Modi government, and their supporters, serving clear political interests.
During periods of India–Pakistan military escalation, Indian media networks have repeatedly circulated exaggerated or fabricated battlefield claims to generate public euphoria. Many of these narratives have later been challenged inside India itself, with journalists and citizens accusing mainstream media of manufacturing panic and manipulating national sentiment for political gain.
Within this established pattern, the Economic Times report on an alleged ISI spy network in Russia reflects yet another instance in which security claims targeting Pakistan circulate without official substantiation, particularly at moments of geopolitical friction. The allegation surfaced amid an ongoing spat between Russian Embassy and Washington-based The Frontier Post, documented history of Indian disinformation networks, and competing narratives surrounding air defense capabilities. With no confirmation from either Russian authorities or Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the report functions primarily as strategic messaging rather than verified intelligence.
