A Russian Defense Ministry Tupolev Tu-154M landed at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport on Sunday evening, according to flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24. The aircraft departed from Chkalovsky Air Base near Moscow, the primary operational hub for the ministry's VIP transport and government missions.

The jet, registered RA-85042, has been on the US sanctions list since 2023. It belongs to the 223rd Flight Unit of the Russian Defense Ministry, an entity the US State Department has accused of transporting personnel and equipment for the Wagner mercenary group.

Under a May 19, 2023 action tied to Executive Order 14024, the United States identified 37 aircraft associated with the unit as blocked property, including RA-85042. The flight traveled over the Black Sea and through Turkish airspace before entering Israel from the Mediterranean and landing at about 7 p.m.

The Russian Embassy in Israel declined to comment on who was aboard or the purpose of the visit, and the Israel Defense Forces also declined to comment. Flightradar24 data showed the aircraft had remained in Moscow in the preceding week after arriving from Novosibirsk on November 2.

Source: The Jerusalem Post