India, Aug. 27 -- Pakistan was so desperate to locate India's S-400 air defence systems during the May 2025 hostilities that it activated spies and sleeper cells inside India, according to Air Marshal (retd) Jeetendra Mishra, who headed the Indian Air Force's Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor.

In an interview with ANI, Mishra said the Russian-made S-400 systems emerged as Pakistan's biggest challenge during the conflict, forcing its military to use multiple means to track their locations.

He added that Pakistan also activated "spies and sleeper cells" in India in an effort to identify the locations of the air defence systems.

Mishra said the presence of the S-400 significantly constrained Pakistan's air operations, with its ...