Russian military aircraft makes 'unusual' landing at Ben Gurion Airport
10:00, 10/11/2026, TuesdayU: Update: 10:40, 10/11/2026, Tuesday
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A Russian military aircraft used to transport senior officials and military personnel landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday evening in an "unusual" flight that has drawn attention amid silence from both governments, with no information available about the identities of its passengers or the purpose of the visit, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
'Unusual' arrival at Ben Gurion
A Russian military aircraft used to transport senior officials and military personnel landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday evening in an "unusual" flight, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported on Monday, with no information available about the identities of its passengers or the purpose of the visit.
The Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft departed from Russia's Chkalovsky Air Base near Moscow and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport around 9 pm local time (1900GMT), according to the broadcaster. The plane was initially detected through a real-time flight-tracking application, and KAN obtained video footage of the Russian aircraft at the Israeli airport on Monday morning.
Official silence on passengers and purpose
Israeli and Russian authorities declined to comment on the mysterious flight when approached by KAN on Monday. The Israeli army spokesperson, the prime minister's office and the Russian Embassy in Israel all refused to provide details about the aircraft's passengers or its mission, the broadcaster said.
The broadcaster noted that no similar landing had been recorded at Ben Gurion Airport in recent years. The aircraft was expected to depart Israel sometime Monday, though no specific departure time was announced, according to KAN.