Ashkelon couple charged with spying for Iran in exchange for cryptocurrency
Israeli prosecutors have filed an indictment at the Tel Aviv District Court against Temirlan Amshukov and Elina Kushniranko, both residents of Ashkelon. The pair face charges of contacting a foreign agent and passing intelligence to an enemy. According to the indictment, the case began in December 2025 when an individual contacted Amshukov via Telegram, offering payment to photograph a restaurant in Ashdod. At that time, Kushniranko reportedly discouraged him, questioning the potential risks. Prosecutors state that contact resumed in April 2026 through a Telegram handler who offered cryptocurrency in exchange for reconnaissance and photography missions. Amshukov accepted and recruited Kushniranko to assist. The indictment alleges the couple carried out missions in Ashdod, Beersheba, Haifa, and Kadima-Zoran. This included attempts to identify and document a defence industry employee and a security official at their homes. In June 2026, they allegedly photographed the Ramat Aviv Mall in Tel Aviv, identifying a stairwell not covered by security cameras. They later travelled to Eilat, photographing a security facility in Dimona, as well as the coastline and ships. The indictment claims a dedicated mobile phone for the operation was purchased with funds provided by the handler. Prosecutors further allege that in early July 2026, Amshukov photographed Mount Herzl in Jerusalem and Israeli soldiers stationed there, days before a state memorial ceremony attended by senior officials. Other tasks, including renting apartments and vehicles and retrieving a package from the sea, were not completed. Israeli security forces arrested the pair in late 2026 while they were travelling to carry out a mission in Beersheba. The indictment states that they had received a total of $4,451.70 in cryptocurrency for the information provided prior to their arrest.