A plane 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, which departed from a military base near Moscow, has been on the US sanctions list since 2023.
Chkalovsky Air Base, where the flight originated, is the main operational hub of the Russian Defense Ministry, which handles VIP transportation and government missions for senior military officials and official delegations.
The flight path passed over the Black Sea and Turkish airspace before entering Israel from the Mediterranean. The plane flew over Israel before landing at Ben Gurion Airport around 7 p.m.
Data from Flightradar24 showed that over the past week the plane has remained in Moscow since arriving from Novosibirsk on November 2.
The plane belongs to the Russian Defense Ministry’s 223rd Flight Unit, itself a sanctioned entity, with the US State Department accusing the unit of transporting personnel and equipment belonging to the Wagner mercenary group to countries where Wagner operated.
The plane was listed under Executive Order 14024, which authorizes sanctions targeting Russia’s nefarious foreign activities, including those related to its war against Ukraine.
As part of the May 19, 2023 action, the United States identified 37 aircraft associated with the unit as blocked property, including RA-85042.
When approached by The Jerusalem PostThe Russian Embassy in Israel declined to comment on who was on the plane or why they were in Israel.
Furthermore, the Israeli army refused Messages request for comment.
THE Job also contacted several US government agencies for comment.
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