Israeli Couple Charged with Espionage for Iran After Filming Sensitive Sites

An Israeli couple from Ashkelon, Tamirlan Amshukov and Alina Kushnirenko, have been indicted in Tel Aviv District Court on serious espionage charges for spying on behalf of Iran. The case began in December 2025 when Amshukov was contacted via Telegram by an agent requesting surveillance tasks, initially involving photographing a restaurant in Ashdod. Despite initial hesitation, the couple resumed contact in April 2026 through a handler who offered cryptocurrency payments for reconnaissance and photography missions.

Between April and July 2026, the couple conducted surveillance in multiple locations including Ashdod, Beersheba, Haifa, Kadima-Zoran, and Tel Aviv, where they identified security vulnerabilities such as unmonitored staircases. They also filmed a security facility in Dimona, the coastline and ships in Eilat, and soldiers at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem shortly before a national memorial ceremony. Some proposed tasks, like renting property and collecting packages from the sea, were not carried out.

The couple was arrested in late 2026 while en route to another mission in Beersheba. Prior to their arrest, they had received a total of $4,451.70 in cryptocurrency payments for the intelligence they provided. The indictment accuses them of contact with a foreign agent and delivering information to an enemy, highlighting the severity of their espionage activities against Israel.