Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to extend condolences over the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of Indian civilians. However, Indian media outlets have come under fire for misreporting the content of the call and falsely claiming Russian support against Pakistan.
Leading publications, including the Times of India, suggested that Russia had backed India’s stance against Pakistan, publishing headlines such as “Putin rattles Pak with big offer to PM Modi on Pahalgam retaliation – ‘Russia fully backs India’.” These reports implied that Moscow had explicitly sided with India in blaming Pakistan for the attack.
Contrary to these claims, the official readout released by the Kremlin made no mention of Pakistan or any support against it. According to the statement, President Putin conveyed his “sincere condolences over the death of Indian citizens killed in a barbaric terrorist attack” and emphasized, along with Modi, the need for an uncompromising fight against terrorism “in all its forms.”
The Kremlin’s statement refrained from attributing responsibility to any country or group, maintaining a neutral tone consistent with diplomatic norms.
Despite this, several Indian outlets have portrayed the general condemnation of terrorism as an endorsement of India’s accusations against Pakistan—an interpretation critics say misleads the public and distorts the diplomatic message.
Observers have pointed out that such reporting contributes to the spread of delusional narratives, undermining media credibility and escalating regional tensions without factual basis.
