Russian Defense Ministry jet landing in Israel, Digi Mart USA News (Israel): A jet operated by the Russian Defense Ministry landed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport on Sunday evening, according to flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24.
The Tupolev Tu-154M departed from a military base near Moscow and has been on the US sanctions list since 2023. The flight path went over the Black Sea and through Turkish airspace before entering Israel from the Mediterranean.
The plane circled over Israel before landing at Ben-Gurion Airport at about 7 p.m.
The Chkalovsky Air Base, from which the flight originated, is the primary operational hub for the Russian Defense Ministry, which manages VIP transport and government missions for high-ranking military officials and official delegations.
Flight-tracking data showed that in the past week, the aircraft had remained in Moscow after arriving from Novosibirsk on November 2.
The aircraft belongs to the 223rd Flight Unit of the Russian Defense Ministry, itself a sanctioned entity. The US State Department has accused the unit of transporting personnel and equipment belonging to the Wagner mercenary group to countries where Wagner operated.
The aircraft was listed under Executive Order 14024, which authorizes sanctions targeting Russia’s harmful foreign activities, including those connected to its war against Ukraine. As part of the May 19, 2023, action, the US identified 37 aircraft associated with the unit as blocked property, including RA-85042.
When approached by The Jerusalem Post, the Russian Embassy in Israel declined to comment on who was aboard the aircraft or why it was in Israel. The Israel Defense Forces also declined the Post’s request for comment.
The Post also reached out to several US government bodies for comment.
