menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Russian citizen in Israel on work permit indicted over suspected espionage tied to Iran

49 0
19.12.2025

Prosecutors have indicted a Russian national on espionage charges after he was arrested on suspicion of spying for Iranian interests, the State Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Vitaly Zvyagintsev, a Russian citizen who had been living in Israel on a work permit, is accused of taking pictures of sensitive sites across the country for an Iranian agent.

Zyvagintsev and the agent were in contact from early October until December 4, when the Russian citizen was arrested at an air force base, the State Attorney’s Office said.

Zvyagintsev allegedly photographed the ports of Eilat, Haifa and Ashdod, as well as the Herzliya Marina, and sent the documentation to his handler. The defendant is also accused of traveling to Nesher Park, which overlooks parts of Haifa, in order to film oil refineries in the city.

The defendant also allegedly photographed military vessels, including an armed merchant cruiser belonging to the US Navy and a........

© The Times of Israel