A Russian military transport plane carrying a high-level delegation led by the head of Russia’s military intelligence agency landed at Ben-Gurion Airport on Saturday afternoon in an unusual visit, two sources familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post. The delegation, which met with senior Israeli defense officials, was led by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly known as GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency. The delegation’s meetings in Israel remain unclear, but the unusual landing of a Russian military plane in Israel comes amid rising regional tensions and ongoing uncertainty over the possibility of a new military confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran. The Russian plane left Israel and headed to Abu Dhabi. The Russian delegation, including Kostyukov, will take part in Russian-Ukrainian negotiations under US mediation scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. 2026. (Credit: FLIGHTRADAR24/SCREENSHOT) A plane operated by the Russian Defense Ministry landed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport on Sunday night, flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed. The Tupolev Tu-154M, which departed from a military base near Moscow, has been on the US sanctions list since 2023. The Chkalovsky air base from which the flight originated is the main operational center of Russian defense. Ministry, which manages VIP transportation and government missions for high-ranking military officers and official delegations. The flight route passed over the Black Sea and passed through Turkish airspace before entering Israel from the Mediterranean. The plane flew over Israel before landing at Ben-Gurion Airport around 7 pm. Data from Flightradar24 showed that over the past week, the plane has remained in Moscow since arriving from Novosibirsk on November 2. where Wagner operated. The plane was listed in Executive Order 14024, which authorizes sanctions targeting Russia’s harmful foreign activities, including those related to its war against Ukraine. As part of the action on May 19, 2023, the United States 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 on the plane or why they were in Israel. The IDF declined the Post’s request for comment. The Post also contacted several US government agencies for comment.
