Russian military intel chief arrives in Israel for talks
11:27, 10/11/2026, TuesdayU: Update: 11:53, 10/11/2026, Tuesday
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Igor Kostyukov landed at Ben Gurion Airport to meet Israeli security officials at Washington's request before traveling to Abu Dhabi for a US-hosted summit.
Unscheduled arrival at Ben Gurion
Igor Kostyukov, head of Russia's military intelligence agency, arrived in Israel late Sunday aboard a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft that touched down at Ben Gurion Airport around 9 pm local time after departing from Chkalovsky Air Base near Moscow, KAN reported. The flight marked the first such arrival in recent years, with the broadcaster describing the movement as "unusual" and initially providing no details on passengers. "The aircraft was carrying senior Russian officials, including the head of Russian military intelligence, who arrived in Israel at the request of the US to hold talks with senior Israeli security officials," KAN stated, citing an unnamed foreign source.
US-brokered summit
The aircraft departed for Abu Dhabi on Monday ahead of a US-hosted peace summit, according to the broadcaster. "The United States is scheduled to hold a peace summit in Abu Dhabi tomorrow, which will be attended by senior officials from Russia and Ukraine," KAN said. The Israeli military spokesperson, the prime minister's office and the Russian Embassy in Israel all declined to comment on the matter, while Abu Dhabi offered no immediate statement regarding the summit.
Syria coordination and Iran ties
Past military dialogue between Israel and Russia has focused on the presence of Russian forces in Syria, with the two militaries maintaining a coordination mechanism to avoid friction near Israel's borders, KAN noted. Russia has significantly reduced its military footprint in Syria since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war and has recently begun withdrawing troops from Hmeimim Air Base near Latakia, the broadcaster said.
Moscow maintains strategic ties with Iran amid its ongoing confrontation with the US, and Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, visited Moscow five days earlier for talks with President Vladimir Putin. The war between the US and Iran began on Feb. 28 and resumed in July after a brief ceasefire, while KAN noted no direct link between the Iranian official's recent visit and the Russian aircraft's arrival.
