Historian critic of ‘Israel’ disappears after landing at Ben Gurion Airport
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
A Russian-‘Israeli’ historian known for his criticism of ‘Israel’ has disappeared after landing at Ben Gurion Airport last week.
Artyom Kirpichenok, a dual citizen who lives in Russia, arrived in ‘Israel’ on August 4, for a conference.
Family, friends, and acquaintances report that contact with him ceased after he disembarked, and attempts to reach him by phone or message have failed.
Russia’s ambassador to ‘Israel’, Anatoly Viktorov, has contacted ‘Israeli’ authorities for information, according to Russian state media and statements reported by TASS.
Former Russian lawmaker Daria Mitina claimed on Telegram that the Shin Bet (Shabak) security service detained him.
“Our worst fears have been confirmed… Artem Ivanovich Kirpichenok is in prison, in the hands of the Israeli secret police Shabak,” she wrote, as quoted by the Russian outlet Izvestia.
Kirpichenok lived in ‘Israel’ for more than a decade, studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and holds a Ph.D. in history with a focus on Zionism, the Middle East, and the Arab-‘Israeli’ conflict.
In recent years he has lived in Russia and published critical material on ‘Israeli’ policies, including comparisons to apartheid and commentary on post-October 7 attitudes.
Haaretz has described him as part of a small left-wing communist faction in Russia that supports the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
He is also reported to have traveled to Iran twice—an unusual step for an ‘Israeli’ citizen.
In a 2018 travel diary, he wrote: “Being an Israeli citizen, it was very interesting to me to see where our bombs would fall, and also to convey information to my countrymen about everyday life in a country that, to Israelis, looks even stranger than the Soviet Union did in the eyes of the Americans in the 1950s.”
He referenced a second visit in 2022.
‘Israeli’ authorities have not publicly confirmed the detention or provided details on any investigation, charges, or legal status.
Reports continue to develop, with Hebrew media describing the situation as a mysterious vanishing and Russian sources framing it as a detention by security services.
