Russian authorities detained and interrogated a group of Israeli citizens at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport on Monday. The group, consisting of approximately 40 passengers arriving from Tel Aviv, faced questions about their country’s conflict with Iran.

According to reports from Russian opposition outlet Mediazona, the group included several dual Israel-Russia nationals.

Witnesses stated that those held had no access to food, water, or restrooms for several hours during the detention. 

Security officials initially demanded that passengers unlock their mobile phones. While the travelers refused initially, they were eventually forced to keep their devices powered off.

During the interrogation, officials reportedly informed the travelers that “Iran is Russia’s ally” and that “Iran’s enemy is Russia’s enemy”.

The outlet noted that the passengers were told their presence in Moscow was “not welcome” and that they had “come for nothing”. Before their release, officials required the Israelis to sign documents warning them against breaking local laws. 

According to the reports, the content of the exchange was tense, officials acted “very politely and carefully” when processing the paperwork.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry later intervened to resolve the situation.


A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry told The Jerusalem Post that Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar directed staff to coordinate with the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Moscow. “Following this intervention, the incident was resolved, and the Israelis’ entry was approved,” the spokesperson stated.

The ministry expressed its dissatisfaction with the Russian government regarding the treatment of its citizens. The spokesperson added, “It was made clear to the Russians that this conduct was completely unacceptable and Israel views the incident very seriously”.