Israeli and Ukrainian Residents of Ashkelon Charged with Espionage for Iran

The Israeli prosecution filed charges on Thursday against Tarmilan Amushkov, an Israeli citizen, and Alina Kushnirko, a Ukrainian citizen, both residents of Ashkelon, for collaborating with Iranian agents and conducting security-related missions under their direction. The two were arrested earlier this month. Investigations revealed that Amushkov maintained contact with an Iranian foreign agent and carried out various tasks for him, receiving payment in digital currencies. It was also found that Kushnirko participated in some of these missions alongside Amushkov.

The Iranian agent instructed Amushkov to purchase a new cellphone with higher-resolution camera capabilities to obtain better-quality images. Amushkov used this device to photograph sensitive locations, including the port of Eilat, a museum, and the cemetery on Mount Herzl.

In a joint statement, the Israeli Police and Shin Bet warned citizens against any contact with foreign agents from enemy states or unidentified sources, especially when such contact involves performing tasks for payment or other reasons. They emphasized that intelligence and terrorist entities from hostile countries continue efforts to recruit and exploit Israelis for espionage and terror activities, often using social media and job offers as recruitment tools.