Israeli-Russian Middle East Expert Disappears After Landing at Ben Gurion Airport

Artyom Kirpichyonok, a 51-year-old historian and Middle East expert holding Israeli citizenship, disappeared about three weeks ago after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport on August 2 from Irbid. Since his arrival, all attempts by his acquaintances to contact him have failed, and Israeli law enforcement agencies have not publicly addressed the case. Russian activists have recently launched petitions urging Moscow authorities to intervene and investigate the circumstances of his disappearance. Kirpichyonok is known for his sharply critical stance against Israel and Zionism. About two weeks ago, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov stated that Russian diplomats were monitoring the situation, but no further official comments have been issued by either Moscow or Jerusalem. Kirpichyonok was born in Saint Petersburg, immigrated to Israel in the 1990s, studied at the Hebrew University, and after approximately 15 years returned to live in Russia.