India’s Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said the country’s air defences downed five Pakistani fighter jets and a large surveillance aircraft during clashes along the border on 7–10 May, marking what he described as the “largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill.” Speaking at an event in Bengaluru on 9 August, Singh attributed most of the strikes to India’s Russian-built S-400 missile batteries and cited electronic tracking data to support the claim. He added that Indian airstrikes also damaged another surveillance platform and several parked F-16s at Pakistani bases. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected the account, insisting no Pakistani aircraft were lost and inviting independent verification of both sides’ inventories. U.S. officials previously told Reuters they were unaware of any American-made F-16s being hit. Islamabad has instead claimed it shot down six Indian aircraft, a figure New Delhi disputes, underscoring the continued lack of independent confirmation nearly three months after the most serious fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades. The Indian government has since recognised participants in the operation. On 14 August, the eve of Independence Day, four senior Indian Air Force officers—including Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Narnadeshwar Tiwari—received the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal, the country’s highest wartime service honour. Nine officers were awarded the Vir Chakra, 13 earned the Yudh Seva Medal and 26 received the Vayu Sena Medal for roles ranging from piloting combat missions to operating S-400 systems that, according to India, thwarted Pakistani attacks.