An indictment has been filed in the Tel Aviv District Court against Tamirlan Amshukov and Elina Kushnirenko, both residents of Ashkelon, on charges of contact with a foreign agent and providing information to the enemy.

According to the indictment, the chain of events began in December 2025, when Amshukov was contacted on Telegram by an individual who offered him money to photograph a restaurant in Ashdod. At the time, Kushnirenko discouraged him from carrying out the task, telling him, "What's wrong with you? What if they're planning something?"

In April 2026, contact was renewed through a Telegram handler who offered payment in cryptocurrency in exchange for surveillance and photography missions. Amshukov agreed and recruited Kushnirenko to assist him.

The two allegedly carried out surveillance and photography assignments in Ashdod, Be'er Sheva, Haifa, and Kadima-Zoran, including attempts to locate and document a defense industry employee and a member of the security forces at their homes.

In June 2026, the defendants allegedly documented the Ramat Aviv Mall in Tel Aviv, identifying a staircase that was not covered by security cameras. They later traveled to Eilat, and en route they photographed a "security facility" in Dimona, as well as the coastline and ships. A dedicated operational phone was also purchased using funds provided by the handler.

In early July 2026, Amshukov allegedly photographed Mount Herzl in Jerusalem and IDF soldiers at the site just days before a state memorial ceremony attended by senior public officials.

Additional assignments proposed to the defendants, including renting an apartment and a vehicle and retrieving a package from the sea, were never carried out.

Later in 2026, while on their way to carry out another mission in Be'er Sheva, the two were arrested by Israeli security forces. According to the indictment, they received a total of $4,451.70 in cryptocurrency for the information they provided prior their arrest.