Russia Detains Dozens of Israelis at Moscow Airport After Tel Aviv Flight

Dozens of Israeli passengers arriving from Tel Aviv were detained and interrogated at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport on Sunday, with Russian authorities reportedly linking the incident to the ongoing war involving Iran.

According to the reports, first reported by Russian opposition outlet Mediazona the estimated 40 passengers including some with dual Israeli-Russian citizenship were held for approximately five hours after landing. During that time, they were reportedly denied access to food, water, and bathroom facilities.

Security officials demanded that passengers unlock their mobile phones, but the passengers refused. Authorities ultimately required that all devices be turned off instead, according to a source cited in the reporting.

Passengers were then called in individually for what officials described as “conversations.” During these interrogations, some were reportedly told that “Iran is Russia’s ally, and Iran’s enemy is our enemy too.” Others were told their presence in Moscow was unwelcome, with officials saying, “You are not welcome” and “You came for nothing.”

There is no indication in the reporting that passengers were formally accused of any legal wrongdoing. Instead, the questioning appeared to focus on perceived connections to the ongoing conflict, based on statements made during the interrogations.

Following the questioning, the passengers were required to sign documents warning them about the risk of violating Russian law. They were then released. A source cited in the report said security officials were “very politely and carefully” behaved while distributing the documents. There were no confirmed reports that any of the detaines were deported or denied entry.

As of Monday, there has been no public response from the Israeli Foreign Ministry or from Russian authorities addressing the detentions.

In December 2019, dozens of Israeli travelers were similarly detained for hours at the same Moscow airport amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries over entry policies, before eventually being released.

Russia and Iran maintain close strategic ties, including coordination on regional and military issues, a relationship that appeared to shape the tone of the questioning described by passengers.