A Russian-Israeli historian known for his criticism of Israel has disappeared after landing at Ben Gurion Airport last week.
Artyom Kirpichenok, who lives in Russia, came to Israel on August 4 for a conference but hasn’t been seen since getting off the plane, according to Hebrew media reports. Family and friends who have tried to contact him have been unsuccessful.
Russia’s ambassador in Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, has reached out to Israeli authorities about the matter, Haaretz reports, citing Russian state media. Daria Mitina, a former Russian lawmaker, claims on Telegram that the Shin Bet intelligence service has taken Kirpichenok into custody.
“Our worst fears have been confirmed… Artem Ivanovich Kirpichenok is in prison, in the hands of the Israeli secret police [Shin Bet],” she writes, according to Izvestia, a Russian outlet linked to the Kremlin.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 10, 2026
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