Author: Карабас Барабас

In October 2026, a Ukrainian serviceman may receive about 30,000 hryvnias per month, and under certain conditions — more than half a million. The difference between these amounts is huge: for an Israeli reader, this is approximately 2,000 and almost 36,000 shekels. But it’s not about two salary categories of one profession. Behind the large accruals are specific combat missions, participation in assaults, time on the front line, and a rather complex system of documentary confirmation.

Author: Anton Pshedinsky, NANews

On October 12, attention was again drawn in Ukraine to the amounts of financial support for servicemen. The reason was the current rules for calculating salaries, bonuses, and additional rewards. Significant changes came into effect in the summer, following the Cabinet of Ministers resolution No. 768 of June 12, 2026.

The new system affects not only contract soldiers. It also applies to mobilized personnel, and the amount of additional payments depends on what exactly the serviceman did, where he was, and how long he performed the corresponding task.

The most impressive figure appeared in the official example of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense: 525,621 hryvnias per month — approximately 35,780 shekels. However, this calculation included six days of assault actions, being on the front lines, a separate combat bonus, and a one-time payment for the first contract. Such a result should not be taken as a typical salary for a Ukrainian soldier.

How much does a serviceman earn if he does not participate in battles

In Ukraine, military personnel receive financial support, not a salary in the usual civilian sense. This legal distinction matters: the amounts of accruals and the conditions for receiving them are determined by special regulations, primarily legislation on the social and legal protection of servicemen and their families.

Financial support includes a position salary, a salary for military rank, a bonus for years of service, a bonus for the peculiarities of service, and a monthly premium. For years of service, 25% to 50% of the corresponding calculation base is provided, for service features — at least 65%. These percentages cannot simply be added and added to an arbitrary salary: each component has its own calculation base.

Since June 2026, for certain categories of servicemen who ensure the activities of units and do not receive other combat rewards, an additional payment of 10,000 hryvnias (about 680 ₪) is provided. Together with the main support, it allows bringing the monthly accrual of such servicemen to a level of at least 30,000 hryvnias (about 2,040 ₪) under the established conditions.

This does not mean that anyone listed in a rear unit is automatically entitled to the same 30,000. The amount depends on the position, rank, experience, actual performance of duties, and the right to the corresponding supplement.

There is another category that rarely makes headlines. Military instructors involved in training personnel can receive additional remuneration from 15,000 to 30,000 hryvnias (approximately 1,020–2,040 ₪) per month, taking into account the established conditions and working time.

For an army that simultaneously conducts war, replenishes units, and trains new servicemen, the qualification of instructors is of great importance. Therefore, their allocation to a separate category is quite understandable.

What do 30, 50, and 100 thousand combat mean

The system of combat rewards existed before the summer reform, but now it has been supplemented with new accruals related to the location of the unit and the nature of the operation.

Additional 30,000 hryvnias (about 2,040 ₪) are provided for certain combat or special tasks by command orders. They can be performed not only directly in the trenches of the front line. For example, the right to such a reward under the necessary conditions may arise for air defense specialists and support units.

For performing certain tasks of operational management of warring units, up to 50,000 hryvnias (about 3,400 ₪) is provided for staff and military management bodies. Here, not the fact of working in the headquarters is taken into account, but the specific function of managing combat operations.

The reward of 100,000 hryvnias (about 6,810 ₪) is associated with direct participation in hostilities and other established combat tasks. In addition to fighters on the line of confrontation, some aviation specialists, Navy, and fire damage units can receive it under the provided conditions.

All these amounts cannot be considered as a fixed bonus that any serviceman of the corresponding category receives in full. If the task was not performed for the entire month, the payment is usually calculated based on the actual time confirmed by service documents.

Let’s say a monthly reward of 100,000 hryvnias does not automatically turn into 100,000 for a few days of participation in battles. This is a fundamental point without which it is impossible to understand the real sizes of monetary accruals.

The front line is now divided into zones: 70 and 170 thousand hryvnias

The most significant change in June concerns how close to the enemy the combat task is performed. Resolution No. 768 introduced special zonal rewards.

For tasks in the established zone up to the company strongpoint inclusive, 70,000 hryvnias per month — about 4,765 ₪ is provided. For tasks in the zone up to the platoon strongpoint inclusive, on the line of direct confrontation, during an offensive or counterattack, in the gray zone, on temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, or on enemy territory under the necessary conditions — 170,000 hryvnias, about 11,570 ₪.

Here, the Israeli reader will need explanations. A company strongpoint is an organized defense area of a company-level unit, usually including several platoons. A platoon strongpoint is a smaller area held by a platoon. In the Israeli army, these organizational levels correspond to company and platoon levels, but the specific defense structure and terminology of the two armies do not fully coincide.

The Ukrainian expression “at zero” means the direct line of contact with the enemy. “Gray zone” is the territory between the firmly controlled positions of the parties, where the situation can change very quickly and where there is not always a clear line of control.

The indicated 70 and 170 thousand are not a payment for registering a serviceman in a unit with a specific address. The Ministry of Defense links the reward with the actual performance of the corresponding tasks in the provided zone, and accruals are made proportionally to the time.

A serviceman could be on one site for twenty-five days and on another for five days. Then the days are counted separately. This is exactly how the official example, which we will consider below, is built.

For assault actions — 20 or 40 thousand hryvnias per day

The summer reform added another monetary mechanism, perhaps the most unusual from the point of view of the Israeli audience.

For participation in actions provided by the rules for restoring positions deep in one’s own defense, 20,000 hryvnias per day — about 1,360 ₪ is accrued. For certain assault actions on the line of combat confrontation or deep in enemy defense — 40,000 hryvnias per day, about 2,720 ₪.

Imagine six confirmed days of assault actions at a rate of 40,000. The calculation will give 240,000 hryvnias, or approximately 16,340 shekels, even before taking into account the main financial support and other applicable combat rewards.

But there is a significant caveat here. Service in an assault unit itself is not equal to participation in a paid at an increased rate assault operation. The execution of the provided task and its documentary confirmation are required. Moreover, for the accounting of days, the Ministry of Defense has established a special procedure: full calendar days are counted from 00:00 to 24:00, regardless of the number of engagements during this time. If the provided task covered the border of two calendar days, the accounting issue is resolved according to the established rules.

Combat orders and directives, combat action logs, reports, and reports of unit commanders are used for confirmation. The declared results undergo the provided procedures of consideration and verification.

The amount that the serviceman will see upon accrual depends on how accurately the command will draw up the documents. Therefore, the new system imposes increased requirements not only on fighters but also on military bureaucracy.

Bonuses for capturing the enemy and confirmed combat results

A separate part of the system is personal rewards. For capturing an enemy serviceman, 100,000 hryvnias (about 6,810 ₪) is provided, and for confirmed destruction of an enemy serviceman in contact combat — 15,000 hryvnias (about 1,020 ₪).

For the second type of reward, video recording is provided, for the first — appropriate documentary confirmation of the capture. The procedure for processing and verifying results is regulated by separate procedures. This is not a bonus that a commander can assign only based on an oral report.

Unlike the main categories of monthly combat rewards, these personal accruals are not included in the established total limit of 460,000 hryvnias. Therefore, the total amount for a specific month can theoretically be higher than all the usual ideas about the financial support of a serviceman.

At the same time, official documents do not provide grounds to consider such accruals as massive. They describe the conditions for receiving money but do not show how many people actually meet these conditions.

Why 460,000 hryvnias is not the final limit

The total monthly limit is set at 460,000 hryvnias — about 31,310 ₪. It applies to the combination of three categories: reward for direct participation in battles up to 100,000 hryvnias, zonal payments at rates of 70 or 170 thousand, and special daily payments for provided assault actions.

If the sum of these accruals exceeds the established limit, 460,000 hryvnias is taken into account. However, the main financial support, the provided one-time assistance upon signing the first contract, and personal combat rewards, which are outside the limit, are added separately.

This explains why the Ministry of Defense provides examples with a result of more than half a million hryvnias. The restriction exists but does not apply to all types of money that a serviceman is entitled to receive.

NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency considers this system not as an unusual story about high earnings. It is about an attempt by the Ukrainian state to financially distinguish completely different service conditions. On the front line, the level of risk, the intensity of hostilities, and the duration of participation in them can differ even between neighboring units.

Where did 525,621 hryvnias per month come from

In the official explanation of the Ministry of Defense, a specific calculation is given for a senior soldier — a shooter of an assault platoon. He was mobilized in April 2026, had less than a year of service, and on June 17 signed a new ten-month contract.

According to the example conditions, the serviceman spent 25 days performing tasks at the platoon strongpoint and five days at the company one. In addition, he participated in six days of assault actions with the capture of enemy positions. The calculation also includes one confirmed result of contact combat.

The Ministry of Defense broke down the accrual into several parts. The main financial support amounted to 23,997 hryvnias (about 1,634 ₪), one-time assistance for the first contract — 26,624 hryvnias (about 1,813 ₪).

For 25 days at the platoon strongpoint, 141,667 hryvnias (about 9,644 ₪) were accrued. Another 11,667 hryvnias (about 794 ₪) were for five days of performing tasks in the company strongpoint zone. The reward for direct participation in hostilities amounted to 100,000 hryvnias (about 6,810 ₪), six days of assaults gave 240,000 hryvnias (about 16,340 ₪). The personal combat bonus added 15,000 hryvnias (about 1,020 ₪).

Before applying the limit, the sum of the corresponding combat rewards reached 493,334 hryvnias. But since the maximum for these categories is 460,000, the accrual was limited to this amount. After adding the main support, contract assistance, and separate personal reward, it amounted to 525,621 hryvnias — approximately 35,780 ₪.

I deliberately provide this calculation in detail: without it, the figure of half a million gives a false impression. Here, it’s not just a month of being in service, but six days of assault actions, prolonged work on the front lines, a confirmed combat result, and one-time assistance that will not be repeated monthly.

Therefore, the question “how much do Ukrainian military personnel earn?” cannot honestly be reduced to this figure. It shows the system’s capabilities under a specific combination of conditions but says nothing about the average financial support of a soldier on the front.

A ten-month contract instead of an indefinite term of service

In the summer of 2026, Ukraine changed not only the order of money accrual. Resolution No. 768 launched an experimental model of new military contracts, designed for a two-year period until June 2028.

Contracts differ by categories and provided duties. For active servicemen of combat units, a term of ten months is provided, for civilians and reservists entering certain combat positions for the first time — fourteen months. For some veterans returning to service, the term can start from six months, and for the basic contract model, including non-combat positions, a period of up to twenty-four months is provided.

The system distinguishes infantry-assault, combat, and basic contracts. For Israelis, it is important not to confuse Ukrainian contract service with Israeli career service — keva. Similar words and the presence of a certain term do not mean the same conditions of dismissal, payment, and social guarantees.

After the end of the corresponding contract, Ukrainian legislation provides for the possibility of dismissal and deferral from a new draft according to established rules. The basic period of such deferral starts from six months and in provided cases can increase taking into account previous service and participation in hostilities. The specific duration depends on the contract category and the fulfillment of necessary conditions.

This circumstance can be no less significant than increased payments. For a serviceman, it matters not only how much he will be accrued per month but also whether he will have a clear legal prospect of completing service.

At the same time, new additional combat rewards are not reserved exclusively for those who signed a motivational contract. The corresponding rules also apply to mobilized and active contract soldiers under the established conditions.

What other money is due to the military and what happens after an injury

The amount of one-time assistance upon signing the first contract depends on the military category. For the rank and file, it is 26,624 hryvnias (about 1,813 ₪), for sergeant and senior ranks — 29,952 hryvnias (about 2,039 ₪), for officers — 33,280 hryvnias (about 2,265 ₪). These amounts are related to the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons established on January 1, 2026, and the corresponding coefficients.

Annual health assistance in the amount of monthly financial support is also provided, and, if there are certain grounds, material assistance for solving social and domestic issues. Such payments should not be confused with permanent combat bonuses.

A separate topic is injuries. During inpatient treatment after an injury received in connection with the defense of the country, in provided cases, an additional reward of 100,000 hryvnias (about 6,810 ₪) per month is retained for the serviceman. During prolonged treatment, additional rules and restrictions apply, including medical conclusions and terms that can reach twelve months. There is no automatic right to such a payment after any illness or injury.

Finally, the timing of receiving money is important. According to the Ministry of Defense explanations, financial support is paid by the 20th of the current month for the previous one. If funding arrived at the unit later, the payment must be made within three days after receiving the funds.

A serviceman who considers the accrual incorrect can contact the financial service of his unit, check the documents on completed tasks, and request an explanation of the calculation grounds. In such a situation, combat orders, reports, logs, and reports are of significant importance.

For individual preliminary calculation, the official calculator of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is available. For questions about new contracts, the department indicates the hotline 1519.

Why Ukrainian amounts cannot be directly compared with IDF payments

For an Israeli reader, it is natural to compare Ukrainian payments with the financial support of Israel Defense Forces servicemen. But first, three completely different systems will have to be delineated.

Mandatory conscription service in the IDF is called shirut hova — שירות חובה. A serviceman receives an established financial support, which is not a regular civilian salary. Career service — shirut keva, שירות קבע — provides for professional service conditions and a different payment system. Reserve service, well known to Israelis as miluim, מילואים, is associated with separate income compensation mechanisms and established state payments.

Therefore, Ukrainian 100 or 170 thousand hryvnias of combat reward cannot be correctly compared with the amount credited to the account of an Israeli conscript. Similarly, it is incorrect to equate Ukrainian assault bonuses with compensations to Israeli reservists. These are different legal and financial mechanisms.

For the Israeli audience, the topic also has a personal dimension. In both countries, there are families whose relatives are connected with the Ukrainian and Israeli armies. Many understand well that the consequences of war do not end on the day the serviceman returns home.

NANews has already analyzed how Ukraine refers to the Israeli experience of supporting families of fallen soldiers. In this matter, Israeli practice is especially indicative: it is not only about compensations but also about long-term support, medical and psychological assistance, support for children, and preserving memory.

Comparing armies only by monthly accruals means missing a significant part of the state’s social obligations. Payments to an active fighter, support for the wounded, assistance to the family of the deceased, and conditions for returning to civilian life should be considered together.

At whose expense will Ukraine finance increased payments

New accruals appear against the backdrop of the ongoing full-scale war, the need for armaments, and a significant burden on the Ukrainian budget. The state is essentially taking on increased obligations to servicemen performing the most dangerous tasks.

But determining the overall cost of the reform by rates alone is impossible. It is necessary to know the number of recipients in each category, the number of confirmed combat days, actual accruals, one-time rewards, and the duration of service. The official example of 525,000 hryvnias does not give the right to multiply this amount by the size of the army.

In the publication of NANews “Ukraine enters a winter of harsh economy”, financial difficulties accompanying the war and the preparation of the next budget year were already considered. The new system of military payments becomes part of the same problem: how to maintain the state’s ability to finance defense without destroying other vital areas of expenditure.

Here, international assistance must also be taken into account. Ukrainian defense depends not only on internal revenues but also on the stability of economic ties and partner support. However, the sizes and sources of actual financing of new accruals require separate budget statistics. Without it, it is impossible to assert what share of obligations is covered by specific revenues or external funds.

What can be said about the reform in a few months

I see here three circumstances by which the result should be evaluated.

• First — whether the military performing the most dangerous tasks will actually receive the provided amounts in full and on time. A rate in a regulatory document is not yet equal to money in the account. Especially where accrual depends on daily confirmation of combat actions and document processing.
• Second — whether it will be possible to ensure a clear accounting procedure. Servicemen of one unit should not have fundamentally different results just because the documents on participation in the operation were drawn up differently. This is a matter not only of financial discipline but also of trust in the command.
• Third — how the contract model with specific dismissal terms and deferrals will work. The ability to plan life after service can influence the decision on a contract no less than a high reward rate. But the real result can be judged by the implementation of the rules, not by announcements about the reform.

So far, we do not have sufficiently detailed public statistics that would show how many Ukrainian servicemen receive 30, 50, 100, 170, or 460 thousand hryvnias in different combinations monthly. There is also no basis to consider half-million accruals as an everyday norm for assault units.

In October 2026, Ukraine has a much more complex reward system than the usual formula “salary plus combat”. It separates service duties, direct participation in battles, zones of task execution, assault days, and separate confirmed operation results.

The official example with 525,621 hryvnias shows the upper range of possible accruals under a certain combination of circumstances. But how accurately, timely, and fairly this system works for thousands of specific servicemen is a question that still needs to be answered.

This, in my opinion, is more important than the most impressive figure. Risk in war is not measured in shekels or hryvnias. But if the state has undertaken to pay for it according to certain rules, it is obliged to follow these rules.

Anton Peterchun, NANews — Nikk.Agency

Sources and documents: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine — financial support for servicemen in 2026; contracts and payments: changes in the Defense Forces; procedure for calculating rewards for assault actions; Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine resolution No. 768 of June 12, 2026.

Note: equivalents in shekels are rounded according to a single reference coefficient of 14.69 hryvnias per shekel. Real bank and exchange rates may differ.

On October 22, 2026, in Tel Aviv, the Ukrainian restaurant SHO? – Ukrainian Traditional Food will host a special evening of Hutsul banosh for the first time. From 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, guests will be offered the famous Carpathian dish with sheep brynza, mushrooms, cracklings, or all the toppings at once.

Author: R.Verter

But the evening won’t be limited to just dinner. The restaurant owner, Anna Andrienko, along with Lyudmila Polenok and Maria Geshko, will welcome visitors in traditional Ukrainian attire. The organizers promise an atmosphere of genuine Ukrainian hospitality.

Meeting place — Carlebach Street 3, in the center of Tel Aviv.

Why does NANovosti recommend attending this evening? Because such gatherings are much more than an opportunity to taste a delicious Carpathian dish. It’s a live introduction to Ukrainian culture, its traditions, and the people who preserve them far from home. For Ukrainians in Israel, it’s a chance to feel the warmth of home, for Israelis — to discover another side of Ukraine, and for all of us — a wonderful reason to spend an evening together at one table. It’s from such simple human meetings that understanding, friendship, and strong ties between the peoples of Ukraine and Israel are formed.

What is banosh and why are the Hutsuls proud of it

For someone who grew up far from the Carpathians, banosh might seem like ordinary corn porridge. But once you try it properly prepared, the difference becomes obvious.

Banosh, or banush, is a traditional dish of Hutsul cuisine, made from corn grits cooked in rich sour cream or cream. Its feature is a tender, rich, slightly stretchy consistency, quite unlike ordinary porridge cooked in water.

The Hutsuls are an ethnographic group of Ukrainians living mainly in the Carpathians, primarily in the modern Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, and Chernivtsi regions of Ukraine. They have preserved their own traditions, clothing, music, crafts, and cuisine.

In Carpathian villages, banosh was traditionally cooked in a cast-iron pot over an open fire. Corn grits were gradually added to hot sour cream and stirred with a wooden spoon until the porridge became thick and homogeneous.

The most important addition is brynza, a salty brined cheese traditionally made from sheep’s milk. Cracklings — small fried pieces of lard — and forest mushrooms were also often used.

Banosh was eaten in everyday life, prepared for family and guests. Over time, it has become one of the most recognizable gastronomic symbols of the Ukrainian Carpathians.

Six ways to prepare banosh: from classic to modern variations

There is no single recipe followed by all Hutsul families. Some prefer thicker porridge, some add more sour cream, and some believe that without the right brynza, banosh loses its character.

Classic banosh with brynza. Corn grits are cooked in rich sour cream, sometimes diluted with water. The finished dish is generously sprinkled with crumbled sheep brynza. This is the simplest way to taste the base itself — the combination of corn, creamy sourness, and salty cheese.

Banosh with Carpathian mushrooms. Porcini mushrooms or other forest mushrooms are fried with onions and added to the hot porridge. At home, champignons will also work. This is an aromatic option, especially popular among mushroom dish lovers.

Banosh with cracklings and brynza. One of the most famous traditional serving methods. Pieces of lard are rendered to a golden color, then added to the porridge along with brynza. It turns out to be an especially hearty dish.

Zakarpattia variant with cream. Instead of just sour cream, rich cream or a mixture with sour cream is used. Banosh becomes softer, with a pronounced creamy taste. It is complemented with butter and cheese.

Banosh with chicken and mushrooms. This is already a modern culinary interpretation. Fried chicken, mushrooms, and onions turn the corn base into a full-fledged hot dish. It’s important not to confuse this option with the historical Hutsul recipe.

Lean banosh with mushrooms. An adapted version without dairy products and meat. The grits are cooked in water or unsweetened plant-based drink, adding mushrooms, fried onions, and vegetable oil. It tastes different from the classic, but is suitable for those who follow a plant-based diet.

At the SHO? restaurant on October 22, traditional combinations are announced: brynza, mushrooms, cracklings, or all together. The other options are provided to introduce the variety of recipes, not as confirmed items on the festive menu.

Can you make real banosh at home?

Yes, you can. And you don’t need a Carpathian stove or an open fire for it.

For three servings, it’s enough to take 150 grams of corn grits, 400 grams of sour cream with a fat content of 20–25%, 150–200 milliliters of water, 100–120 grams of brynza, and a little salt.

Sour cream is mixed with water in a thick-walled pot and heated over low heat. Then the grits are gradually added, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.

Depending on the grind, cooking takes about 15–25 minutes. The finished banosh should be soft, creamy, without hard grains.

Salt is added carefully: brynza is quite salty on its own. In the end, the hot porridge is distributed onto plates and sprinkled with cheese. Mushrooms or cracklings are prepared separately.

There’s also a small secret: good banosh requires attention. You can’t just leave it on the stove and remember it in twenty minutes. Constant stirring is an important part of the preparation.

Why banosh in Tel Aviv is more than an unusual dinner

For people from Ukraine, traditional cuisine often becomes one of the simplest ways to maintain a connection with their native places.

And it’s not just about a specific dish. Behind it are family stories, memories of cities and villages, trips to the Carpathians, and large family feasts.

For the Israeli audience, there is another historical context here. Galicia, Bukovina, and Zakarpattia were regions where Ukrainians, Jews, and other peoples lived side by side for centuries. Their daily lives intersected in markets, cities, and small settlements.

This does not mean that banosh has Jewish origins. It remains a Hutsul dish. But getting to know Carpathian cuisine helps to better understand the region, which is connected to the history of many Jewish families living in Israel today.

Such cultural meetings are already becoming a noticeable part of the life of the Ukrainian community in the country.

NANovosti previously reported on how the SHO? restaurant celebrated its third anniversary in Tel Aviv, as well as on the performance of the Ukrainian rock band Chornitsa from Haifa at this venue.

These events are interesting not only to Ukrainians. They are an opportunity for Israelis to get acquainted with modern Ukrainian culture without political declarations — through music, conversation, and food.

NANovosti — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency continues to report on such meetings, as it is through ordinary human communication that understanding between the societies of Israel and Ukraine often arises.

Banosh and kashrut: what Israeli guests should know

Traditional banosh has a feature important for those observing kashrut.

The classic version with pork cracklings is not kosher. Moreover, the combination of meat products with a dairy base also does not comply with kashrut rules.

Banosh with brynza and mushrooms does not contain meat, but this alone does not guarantee the dish’s kosher status: the origin of the ingredients, preparation conditions, and the presence of appropriate supervision are important.

The version with chicken and mushrooms can be adapted to a meat kosher menu if the corn base is prepared without dairy products and other kashrut requirements are observed.

Visitors for whom this is significant should clarify the dish’s composition and the kitchen’s status in advance with the SHO? restaurant. The organizers have not announced kosher certification for the evening.

Who will welcome guests on October 22

The organizers decided to emphasize not only the gastronomic but also the cultural side of the evening.

In traditional Ukrainian attire, guests will be welcomed by three women:

Anna Andrienko (Anna Andrienko) — the owner of the SHO? restaurant, who will personally greet visitors.

Lyudmila Polenok (Ora) — a participant in the evening, well-known to the organizers and guests of the establishment.

Maria Geshko (Masha Geshko) — another participant in the festive meeting.

The SHO? announcement emphasizes that the main thing is to give people the opportunity not only to try banosh but also to feel the atmosphere of a Ukrainian feast, where guests are welcome and no one is rushed away from the table.

And perhaps this is what makes the evening interesting. Ukrainian cuisine in the center of Tel Aviv ceases to be just a restaurant menu and turns into a live meeting with the traditions of another country.

Where and when to try Hutsul banosh in Tel Aviv

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026.

Time: from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Place: SHO? – Ukrainian Traditional Food.

Address: Carlebach Street 3, Tel Aviv–Yafo.

Phone for reservations: 058-607-6070.

What will be offered: banosh with brynza, mushrooms, cracklings, or all toppings at once.

Cost: not specified in the published announcement. The price of dishes and ordering conditions should be checked with the organizers.

Details and ordering: official event post on Facebook.

Additional information — on the SHO? – Ukrainian Traditional Food page.

The evening is open to those who already know the taste of banosh and to those who hear this word for the first time.

On October 22, in the center of Tel Aviv, you can get acquainted with Hutsul cuisine without a trip to the Carpathians. And perhaps, at the same time, discover a part of Ukrainian culture that you previously knew almost nothing about.

In the summer of 1939, a train with Polish Jews was under guard in Romanian Constanța. These people were supposed to transfer to the Tiger Hill — an old steamship prepared for an illegal voyage to Eretz Israel. But the Romanian authorities received orders to stop further dispatch of such groups, and the train was placed on a guarded track.

One of the organizers of the operation was not going to put up with this.

Author: Stas Shifer

Her name was Ruth Kluger. With the support of Bucharest Jewish banker Gheorghe Mandel, she pushed her way to people who could change the decision: to high-ranking officials, the entourage of King Carol II, and Foreign Minister Grigore Gafencu. Historian Jurgen Rover describes how, after Gafencu’s intervention, the ship was finally allowed to set sail. Another source dedicated to the Jews of Bessarabia also records the joint work of Ruth and Yosef Bar-Pal and her personal appeal to Gafencu regarding the detained refugees.

A few weeks later, Tiger Hill would be off the coast of Tel Aviv. British forces would open fire. Two people would die.

But the story of the woman who reached the Romanian king for the sake of a ship with Jewish refugees did not begin in Romania.

It began in Kyiv.

Before Kluger and Aliav, she was Ruth Polishuk

According to the most detailed version of her biography today, Ruth Polishuk was born on April 27, 1910, in Kyiv, then part of the Russian Empire. She was the youngest of eight children in a Jewish family. Her father, a horse trader, left shortly after her birth, and Ruth effectively grew up without him.

Old directories mention the year 1914, and notes to her biography record several other options. But the Chernivtsi Museum of the History and Culture of Bukovina Jews and the modern Hebrew biography use the date April 27, 1910, and Kyiv.

For our section “Jews from Ukraine“, this is not a formal line “place of birth”. The first approximately two decades of Ruth’s life are associated with several territories of modern Ukraine: Kyiv, Podolia, and Chernivtsi.

Even before the start of World War I, little Ruth was sent to her grandmother and her mother’s sisters. By the summer of 1914, she was already living with them in one of the Jewish shtetls near Kamianets-Podilskyi, then the administrative center of the Podolia Governorate of the Russian Empire. The name of this shtetl is not reported in biographical sources. Within a few dozen kilometers of Kamianets were large Jewish communities of Zhvanets, Orynyn, Kytayhorod, Balin, Smotrych, and Dunaivtsi.

At the same time, Kamianets-Podilskyi itself was a major Jewish center of Podolia. In 1910, about 22.3 thousand Jews lived in the city — about 47% of the total population. There were dozens of synagogues and prayer houses, Jewish schools, charitable institutions, and a hospital.

When World War I began in 1914, four-year-old Ruth was with her grandmother and maternal aunts in one of the Jewish shtetls near Kamianets-Podilskyi. Its name is not mentioned in known biographies. Possible options include Orynyn and Zhvanets: both were located about 15–20 kilometers from Kamianets and had large Jewish communities. However, no direct document linking Ruth’s family to one of these shtetls has been found yet.

A regular trip to relatives turned into a long separation from her mother, brothers, and sisters. Due to the war, Ruth could not return to Kyiv and, along with her aunts, moved from place to place in the following years, while the Russian Empire collapsed around them, borders and power changed. Biographies mention the anti-Jewish violence seen by the child during those years; in Orynyn, for example, anti-Jewish demonstrations were documented as early as 1914, and later — pogroms of 1919–1920. But there is no basis to assert that Ruth was there.

About seven years later, the family reunited in Chernivtsi. These seven years were not a road from Kamianets to Chernivtsi, but a time of separation, war, and multiple relocations. Ruth learned very early what it means to be caught between war, changing borders, and a road that suddenly closes.

Two decades later, she would be opening such roads for others.

Chernivtsi: the city where the future participant of Aliyah Bet was formed

The Chernivtsi Museum dates Ruth’s reunion with her family to 1918. The Hebrew biography speaks of seven years of separation, which rather leads to the early 1920s. It is difficult to determine the exact date today, but both versions agree on one thing: after her childhood wanderings, Ruth ended up with her mother, brothers, and sisters in Chernivtsi.

For an Israeli reader, it is easy to get lost on the map here. Today, Chernivtsi is a regional center in western Ukraine. But after the collapse of Austria-Hungary, Bukovina became part of Romania, and in Ruth’s youth, the city was called Cernăuți. It was not a provincial episode of her biography but one of the largest Jewish cultural centers in Eastern Europe.

Ruth finished primary school and secondary school here — in sources, it is usually called a gymnasium. The name of the specific educational institution has not yet been established, and attributing her to one of the well-known Chernivtsi gymnasiums would be incorrect.

It is much better known what she did outside of school.

In Chernivtsi, Ruth joined “Ha-Shomer Ha-Tzair” — Hashomer Hatzair. For a modern Israeli, the name is familiar, but in 1920s Bukovina, it meant much more than an ordinary youth movement. The Chernivtsi organization grew out of groups of Jewish teenagers who returned from Vienna after World War I. Already in 1918, they began creating the first groups of the future Hashomer Hatzair in the city, holding meetings, learning Hebrew, discussing Zionism and Eretz Israel.

By 1923, the Bukovina center had united with groups from Bessarabia. In 1924, the movement became part of the worldwide structure of Hashomer Hatzair, with the Romanian organization, in which Chernivtsi played a significant role, considered one of the largest. In the city itself, hakhshara groups appeared — practical training for young Zionists for aliyah and future life in Eretz Israel. One of them bore the name Yosef Trumpeldor and consciously switched to Hebrew in everyday life even before departure.

There is no basis to assert that Ruth was part of this group. But this was her environment.

Therefore, Ruth Polishuk’s road to the future Israel did not begin in a Romanian port or on the deck of Tiger Hill. It began in Chernivtsi — among Jewish youth for whom aliyah was not a beautiful slogan but a plan for their own lives.

Seven languages, eight or nine — and why Chernivtsi is more important than the number

Later, Ruth’s ability to talk to almost anyone would become one of the reasons for her success in underground work.

The Hebrew biography lists seven languages she spoke: Russian, Yiddish, German, Romanian, English, Spanish, and Hebrew. Later, she learned Portuguese. The Chernivtsi Museum provides a broader list of nine, adding French and counting Portuguese among the main languages.

Here, the interest is not in the debate over the number but in the origin of this ability.

Jewish Chernivtsi lived in several linguistic spaces at once. Even after Bukovina came under Romanian rule, German remained an important language of the city’s Jewish culture; simultaneously, there was the Romanian state environment, Ukrainian, Yiddish, Hebrew, and the languages of families who came from the former Russian Empire. In the history of Bukovina’s Hashomer Hatzair, it is directly noted that German remained the everyday language of its participants for a long time, alongside the persistent study of Hebrew.

Ruth grew up within this multilingualism. Later, it would become a practical tool: with one person, she would need to speak as with an official, with another — as with a banker, with a third — as with a ship’s captain, and sometimes switch between several countries and several political worlds in one day.

Vienna, law, and aliyah

After finishing school in Chernivtsi, probably in the late 1920s, Ruth went to Vienna, where she began studying law. The exact years of her studies are not specified in the found biographical sources, so tying her admission to a specific year would be incorrect.

Old encyclopedias contain the wording that Ruth graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Vienna. However, modern Israeli biographies clarify: she completed a significant part of her studies but left Austria before completing her final work. Therefore, it is more correct to say that Ruth studied law in Vienna but did not formally complete her university education.

For her further biography, the question of a diploma is not the only important one. To the multilingual environment of Chernivtsi were added legal training, life in a European capital, and another experience of existing between different cultural and political worlds.

By 1934, Ruth was still in Europe. That year she married Emanuel Kluger. A year later, in 1935, the couple made aliyah to the British Mandate “Palestine” and settled in Mishmar HaEmek — a kibbutz of the Hashomer Hatzair movement in the north of the country.

For Ruth, this was a logical route. Already in Chernivtsi, she entered the Hashomer Hatzair environment, where aliyah and life in Eretz Israel were not an abstract idea but part of the practical preparation of young Zionists. Now what was discussed in the Chernivtsi youth groups became her own life.

The first years were difficult. Ruth and Emanuel’s first child died of meningitis at an early age. Ruth found it hard to adapt to kibbutz life, and already in 1936, she moved to Tel Aviv, where she began working in the foreign relations department of Histadrut — the General Federation of Jewish Workers in Eretz Israel, one of the key institutions of the Yishuv before the creation of the state.

This work turned out to be more important for her than it might have seemed from the outside. To the multilingual environment of Chernivtsi and the legal training of Vienna were added international contacts, negotiations, and constant communication with people from different countries. It was this set of skills that would soon make Ruth especially valuable to those involved in illegal aliyah.

By this time, the Ukrainian period of her life had already ended geographically. But Chernivtsi continued to be part of her biography: it was there that Ruth came to the Zionist movement, learned to exist between several languages and cultures, and first linked her own future with Eretz Israel.

The next turn in her life would again be connected with Romania — but first not at all as it would happen in the summer of 1939.

Sixteen people in sailor uniforms

During this period, Ruth’s biography first mentions a trip to Romania. What exactly brought her there, available biographical sources do not specify. Therefore, linking this trip to a specific assignment from Histadrut or future work in “Mossad le-Aliyah Bet” would be incorrect.

It is known that on the way back from Romania, Ruth met 16 Polish Jews in one of the Greek ports. They were trying to get to Eretz Israel but did not have the necessary certificates, documents, and money.

There was no pre-prepared operation. Kluger began to act on her own.

She collected money from first-class passengers and even from Greek Orthodox priests. Then she made arrangements with two officers of the ship.

Sixteen people were dressed as sailors. Among them were four girls — they had to cut their hair short. At night, the group was brought onto the ship and hidden in a free first-class cabin.

For these sixteen people, the improvised operation meant the opportunity to continue their journey to Eretz Israel. For Ruth herself, it became the moment when all the skills acquired earlier unexpectedly converged at one point: languages, negotiations, the ability to quickly find money and the right people, and act where there was simply no official solution.

When Eliyahu Golomb and Berl Katznelson, already familiar with Ruth from work in Histadrut, learned about this story, it became clear that her abilities would be useful for much larger operations.

And this was happening at a time when such people were becoming especially needed.

After Kristallnacht in 1938, the danger for Jews in Germany and Austria sharply increased. At the same time, in May 1939, Britain established a new immigration policy for the British Mandate “Palestine”: about 75,000 Jewish immigrants over the next five years, after which further Jewish immigration was to depend on the consent of the Arab population. The document separately provided for the fight against illegal immigration.

The number of European Jews who needed a way out of Europe was growing precisely when legal opportunities to reach Eretz Israel were shrinking.

One of the Yishuv’s responses was Aliyah Bet — illegal, from the point of view of the British authorities, transportation of Jews to the British Mandate “Palestine”. The coordination of these operations was handled by the “Haganah” structure “Mossad le-Aliyah Bet”, led by Shaul Avigur.

This is not the current Israeli “Mossad”. We are talking about another, earlier organization created to bypass British immigration restrictions. USHMM dates the systematic coordination of its operations to 1938.

In June 1939, Ruth joined “Mossad le-Aliyah Bet”. She became the tenth member of the organization and the only woman in its then team.

And now Romania appeared in her life in a completely different capacity.

Ruth was sent there with a specific task to organize illegal aliyah. Her knowledge of the country and the Romanian language was especially useful. In Romania, Yosef Bar-Pal was already working, with whom she was to organize the dispatch of refugees.

Officially, Kluger represented Keren Kayemet LeIsrael. In fact, her work looked different: raising money, finding ships, establishing contacts, obtaining permits for Jewish refugees to enter Romania, and then — permits for ships to leave Romanian ports.

What began in a Greek port as a spontaneous attempt to help sixteen people now turned into systematic work, where it was already about hundreds of human lives.

NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency has already analyzed how deep the Ukrainian trace turned out to be in the history of Israeli intelligence services. Ruth is important here also because her activities relate to the earlier world of underground structures of the Yishuv, from which later the state institutions of Israel would grow.

Jews from Ukraine: how immigrants from Ukraine formed the “Mossad”

Romania: train, banker, minister, and king

So Ruth found herself in Romania again. Only now she came there as a participant in “Mossad le-Aliyah Bet”.

Together with her worked Yosef Bar-Pal, and one of the financial supports was the Bucharest Jewish banker Gheorghe Mandel. For the next operation, an old Greek steamship was chartered, named Tiger Hill.

Initially, small groups from Bulgaria, the Baltics, and Germany boarded. Then a train with about five hundred chalutzim — young Zionists preparing for aliyah — was sent from Poland.

The Romanian authorities tried to stop it at the border. Kluger managed to get the train further, but in Constanța, the train was placed on a guarded track.

Hundreds of people found themselves very close to the ship that was supposed to take them out of Europe, but they could not get on it.

The very cabinet war began, with which this story opens.

With the support of Gheorghe Mandel, Ruth reached the highest echelons of Romanian power and the entourage of King Carol II. Foreign Minister Grigore Gafencu intervened.

Permission was obtained.

Tiger Hill left Romania with approximately 729 people on board.

But this is not the final number.

At the end of August, the ship approached Beirut and took on passengers from another refugee ship — Frossoula, stranded off the Lebanese coast. After loading people, Tiger Hill was overcrowded.

That is why different sources cite different final numbers: the Israeli biography speaks of 1,417 passengers, while the official report of the American Consul General in Jerusalem records 1,205 people on board when the ship was off the coast of Tel Aviv.

On September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland. World War II began. On the same day, Tiger Hill was already near Tel Aviv.

To the shore, for which Ruth fought through the offices of Romanian officials, there were only a few kilometers left.

The American diplomatic document records that on September 2, the ship was grounded near Tel Aviv, British authorities opened fire, and two passengers were killed.

Their names have been preserved: Zvi Binder, a member of the “Chalutz” movement from Poland, and Dr. Robert Schneider from Czechoslovakia, who, according to a passenger, tried to help the wounded.

Residents of Tel Aviv gathered on the shore. Some of the arrivals managed to escape and blend into the crowd. One of the passengers recalled about 300 people who managed to leave and about approximately 1,200 detained, sent to Sarafand.

On September 11, they were released.

The numbers of this testimony do not fully match the diplomatic statistics, but the sequence of events matches: landing, an attempt to hide some people, mass detention, and subsequent release.

The operation, which began with a detained train in Romania and negotiations in royal offices, ended on the shore of the future Israel.

Chernivtsi appeared in her life again

There is a detail that makes this story especially fitting for the section “Jews from Ukraine”.

While working in Romania in 1939–1941, Ruth met her own brothers, their wives, aunts from Chernivtsi and Vienna, as well as her youthful love and his family from Chernivtsi.

Now she was persuading them to board ships while such an opportunity still existed.

Once, the war cut off little Ruth Polishuk from her Kyiv family and led her through Podolia to Chernivtsi. Now adult Ruth Kluger was trying to get people out of Europe from the very world in which she grew up.

Chernivtsi returned to her life not as a city of youth, but as the faces of people she knew and whom she was now trying to open a road out of Europe.

This is not the only Ukrainian-Israeli maritime story of those years. In our section, we have already told about Aryeh Grevnov from Ichnia, who in 1933 raised the blue and white flag with the Magen David over his own ship.

Jews from Ukraine: Aryeh Grevnov and the Jewish flag over the sea

After Tiger Hill were Hilda and Darien II

Tiger Hill was not the culmination of Kluger’s career. Rather, it was the moment when the scale of her work became especially noticeable.

In December 1939, the operation Hilda began. The ship was long blocked in Bulgarian Balchik. Conditions on board were becoming increasingly difficult, passengers were exhausted, and there was a conflict with the crew and local authorities.

Ruth again had to deal with not one specific task, but everything at once. She managed to obtain new supplies and even arranged for people to wash in an abandoned hammam at the palace of Romanian Queen Maria.

After new delays, Hilda reached Eretz Israel on January 23, 1940; the men among the passengers were sent by the British authorities to the Atlit camp.

In the same 1940, Ruth divorced Emanuel Kluger.

By the end of 1940, the situation in Romania became too dangerous for Kluger herself. She moved to Istanbul but did not stop working.

The next big story was Darien II, related to Jewish refugees stranded in Yugoslav Kladovo and Šabac.

On February 19, 1941, Darien II departed from Romanian ports, passed through Varna, and eventually reached Haifa with almost 800 people. Among them were 70 survivors from the sinking of another refugee ship — Salvador.

The same Kladovo–Šabac refugees who could not be evacuated were later killed during the Holocaust.

A heavy conflict arose around Darien II within the Yishuv itself: the leadership of the Haganah wanted to use the ship in cooperation with the British for military tasks against Germany, while the people of Mossad LeAliyah Bet, including Kluger, insisted on rescuing the refugees.

This dispute later became known as the “Darien Dilemma”.

Egypt, France, and liberated Europe

By 1943, Ruth found herself in Egypt as a representative of Mossad LeAliyah Bet and the Jewish Agency. Officially, she was engaged in fundraising for soldiers of the Jewish units of the British army; simultaneously, she sought ways to evacuate Jews from Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon, sources of weapons for the Haganah, and contacts with allies, including representatives of “Free France” under Charles de Gaulle.

In 1944, Ben-Gurion sent her to France as one of the first representatives of the Yishuv.

After the liberation of the camps, Kluger entered a world for which her previous experience with secret ships was only preparation: displaced persons camps, searching for Jewish children hidden during the war, negotiations with military administrations.

She visited Bergen-Belsen a week after its liberation, participated in organizing a Passover Seder for approximately four thousand children, including survivors of Buchenwald, and helped search for children who had been hidden during the war.

In 1945, after meeting with General Dwight Eisenhower, American Colonel Ernest Witte gave her the opportunity to use the transport ship Ascania to transport approximately 2,500 Jewish refugees.

In the memoir-biographical tradition, this episode is also described as Kluger receiving an honorary colonel status, allowing her to issue necessary orders. The Americans did not allow a repeat voyage due to British pressure.

The scale changed, but the principle of her work remained the same as it once was in the Greek port: to find an opportunity where officially there was almost none.

The state that did not yet exist finally appeared

In 1947, Ruth returned to Eretz Israel, but not for long. In early 1948, she was sent to raise funds in South America for the future state and its defense.

On May 14, 1948, the day the State of Israel was proclaimed, she was in the United States.

For a woman who had been sending ships to the shores of a country that legally did not yet exist for years, this day marked the end of one era and the beginning of another.

Around that time, the name by which she is most often remembered in Israel today appeared in her life — Aliav. JTA wrote that David Ben-Gurion suggested she take this surname because of her many years of work in Aliyah Bet. Encyclopaedia Judaica directly associates “Aliav” with the name of this underground aliyah.

In early 1949, she returned to Israel and joined ZIM. She organized and led the Jerusalem office of the company until 1955, then established ZIM representations in South America, represented the company in East Asia and Australia, and from 1958–1972 headed the public relations department.

For her work during the war, Ruth received the French Cross of Lorraine and the Legion of Honor. In 1974, the National Council of Jewish Women of the USA named her Woman of the Year.

Her memoirs, written with Peggy Mann, were published in English in 1973 under the title The Last Escape. Later, the book The Secret Ship, dedicated to the story of Hilda, appeared.

She adopted and raised two children who survived the Holocaust.

Ruth Kluger-Aliav died on February 16, 1980, and was buried in Mishmar HaEmek — the very kibbutz where she arrived at the beginning of her life in Eretz Israel.

From Kyiv to Tel Aviv

In Israeli history, she can be described in various ways: an activist of Aliyah Bet, a representative of the Yishuv in Europe, an organizer of refugee ships, an employee of ZIM.

But in the history of Jews from Ukraine, her path begins earlier than all these positions.

First, there was Ruth Polishuk from Kyiv. Then — a child with relatives near Kamianets-Podilskyi. Then — Chernivtsi, school, gymnasium, German and Yiddish around, Hebrew in Hashomer Hatzair, and conversations about the land yet to be reached.

From Chernivtsi, she went to Vienna. From Vienna — to Eretz Israel.

And then the road turned back.

First, there was a trip to Romania, the purpose of which biographical sources do not explain, and a chance meeting on the way back with sixteen Polish Jews in a Greek port. Then — joining Mossad LeAliyah Bet and a new trip to Romania, now with a specific mission: to evacuate hundreds of people from Europe, find ships, money, and permits for them, argue with officials, and reach ministers and the royal entourage.

In 1939, the former Kyiv girl was seeking permission from the Romanian authorities to evacuate Tiger Hill. In the same year, the ship reached the shores of Tel Aviv, and the people for whom negotiations were held set foot on the land of a country that did not yet exist.

Nine years later, the State of Israel appeared.

And a little later, the name of the cause to which Ruth dedicated years of her life became part of her own name — Ruth Kluger-Aliav.

For Ruth, Ukraine is not just a formal line ‘place of birth’. The first approximately two decades of her life are connected with several territories of modern Ukraine: Kyiv, Podolia, and Chernivtsi. It is precisely such fates — of people whose journey began in Ukraine and continued in the history of Israel — that we collect in the section “Jews from Ukraine”.

In the Ukrainian Wikipedia, there is a separate article about Ruth Kluger-Aliav.

In Ukraine, work has begun on developing a strategy for the preservation and development of languages at risk of extinction. One such language is Yiddish, which holds immense significance for the Jewish community in Ukraine and worldwide.

This is reported by The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS).

---

Which languages are at risk of extinction?

The key task of the strategy, as noted by the DESS team, is to develop effective operational plans for each of the nine languages included in the official list of languages at risk of extinction, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

The Crimean Tatar language was excluded from this strategy because a separate development strategy for it is already being prepared for 2022-2032.

As part of the strategy for preserving languages at risk of extinction in Ukraine, the following languages are included in the list:

• Yiddish — the language of the Jewish community of Ukraine, which has a centuries-long history in this territory.
• Karaites — the language of the Karaites, an ethnic group with a long history in Ukraine, which has its own religious and cultural features.
• Crymachaks — the language of the Krymchaks, an indigenous people of Crimea, who have long been at risk of extinction.
• Gagauz — the language of the Gagauz, an ethnic group residing in Ukraine and other countries, including Moldova.
• Romani — the language of the Roma people, an ethnic group spread across Ukraine and Europe, with several dialects.
• Belarusian — the language of the Belarusians, an ethnic group with a significant presence in Ukraine, especially in some regions.
• Urum — the language of the Urums, an ethnic group in southern Ukraine, which has its own historical and cultural traditions.
• Rumei — the language of the Rumei people, an ethnic group residing in the Odessa region and other parts of Ukraine.

These languages play an important role in the cultural and historical life of national minorities in Ukraine. The preservation of these languages is becoming an urgent task in the process of developing the strategy.

---

The Role of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) plays a central role in developing the language preservation strategy. This service is the main governmental body dealing with issues of ethnopolitics, languages, and religious freedoms. It actively coordinates all initiatives aimed at preserving the languages of national minorities.

DESS has organized the creation of a working group that will study each language, including Yiddish, and develop specific actions for their preservation. This work includes:

• Developing scientific recommendations.
• Preparing educational programs.
• Supporting cultural and linguistic initiatives.
• Creating legislation aimed at protecting minority languages and ensuring their use in daily life.

DESS works closely with experts, linguists, scholars, and community organizations representing the speakers of these languages to ensure the most effective support.

---

What Happened: The Start of the Strategy Work

In April 2025, work began on the Strategy for the Preservation and Development of Languages at risk of extinction.

The first meeting of the working group involved representatives of DESS, the Council of Europe, public organizations, scholars, and language speakers. At the meeting, it was decided that each language would have its own subgroup that would work on its preservation, considering its unique features, level of use, and cultural value.

The participants discussed the importance of creating operational plans for each language, taking into account the historical context, demographic trends, and the current needs of language speakers.

This strategy aims to become not just a formal document, but a powerful tool for actively preserving and deeply rethinking the rich linguistic heritage of Ukraine as an integral part of its cultural diversity. It is expected that in the near future, the newly created subgroups will begin intensive work on specific sections of the future strategy. The ambitious goal is to prepare the draft of this document by the end of the summer of this year.

---

The History of Yiddish in Ukraine

Yiddish is not only a language but also an essential part of the cultural identity of Ukraine’s Jewish community. This language has a centuries-long history, dating back to the time when Jews settled on the territory of Ukraine. It became the primary language of communication in Jewish communities in Ukraine, including cities like Kyiv, Odessa, and Lviv, where there was a large Jewish population.

With the arrival of Soviet power and during World War II, the use of Yiddish declined, but the language continued to be preserved within Jewish communities. In recent decades, its usage has decreased due to assimilation and the shift to other languages, particularly Russian and Ukrainian.

Nevertheless, Yiddish continues to remain an important element of Jewish identity, and its preservation is crucial not only for Ukraine but for the entire Jewish people. Today, there are active programs and projects aimed at reviving Yiddish, including cultural events, educational courses, and media platforms.

---

Conclusions: Why It’s Important to Preserve Yiddish and Other Languages

Preserving Yiddish and other minority languages of Ukraine is an important step in strengthening the country’s cultural diversity. Minority languages are not only a means of communication but also play a key role in preserving the historical and cultural memory of these peoples.

The development of a strategy for preserving these languages underscores the importance of multilingualism for Ukraine as a cultural center capable of maintaining and developing its ethnic and cultural features. It is vital for Ukraine to actively support and develop languages such as Yiddish to strengthen its cultural heritage and foster further cooperation with the global Jewish community, including Israel.

НАновости – News from Israel will continue to follow this process and inform its readers about news in this area.

On October 8, 2026, in Turkmenistan, Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and offered Moscow’s role as an assistant in resolving the war in the Middle East. The Russian dictator stated that Iran is allegedly not guilty of the conflict’s emergence and is trying to end it peacefully. On the same day, US President Donald Trump promised not to resume strikes on Iran until the American elections on November 3.

Author: Anton Pshedynsky.

For Israel, this is not just another meeting of two presidents. Russia is increasingly cooperating with a state that Israel considers one of the main threats to its security. And for Ukraine, this meeting has an even more specific meaning: Iranian Shahed drones have become one of the main tools of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.

What Putin promised the President of Iran

The meeting took place on the sidelines of international events in Turkmenistan, where Putin arrived to participate in the CIS summit — the Commonwealth of Independent States, uniting several former Soviet republics — and the Caspian Environmental Summit.

Addressing Pezeshkian, Putin called the situation in the Middle East the most acute regional problem and promised to do everything possible to resolve it.

His assessment of the causes of the war was particularly indicative. According to the Russian leader, the conflict did not start because of Iran, and Tehran is allegedly making real efforts to end it.

Separately, Putin asked to convey wishes of well-being to Mojtaba Khamenei — the Supreme Leader of Iran, holding the highest position in the political and religious system of the Islamic Republic.

This was an open demonstration of political support for the Iranian leadership. But no specific Russian peace plan, agreed-upon mediation mechanism, or new commitments were publicly presented following the meeting.

Tehran prepares proposals for Washington

Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran continues to seek a diplomatic way out of the war. At the same time, he blamed the United States for the lack of an agreement.

The Iranian president stated that Tehran has not stopped negotiations despite American military strikes and is now finalizing a new package of proposals. After coordination, the document is expected to be passed to the other side through intermediaries.

Pezeshkian did not specify what conditions Iran is proposing.

A separate question arose: did Putin receive a special message for Trump from the Iranian president? On October 9, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that there was no message.

Therefore, there is no basis to claim that Moscow has already become an official mediator between Washington and Tehran.

Trump set the date — November 3

Almost simultaneously with the negotiations in Turkmenistan, Donald Trump announced that the US would not resume strikes on Iran until November 3, 2026, when the midterm elections to the US Congress will take place.

Trump called the negotiations with the Iranian side productive. However, he simultaneously emphasized that the American blockade would continue, and Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons.

For Israel, this is an important signal. Washington temporarily limits the possibility of a new American offensive but does not announce the end of the war. Issues of the Iranian nuclear program, enriched uranium, and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic route for oil supplies from the Persian Gulf — remain subjects of confrontation.

It turns out that American and Russian diplomacy are now acting in parallel. But this does not yet mean that Washington has recognized any role for Moscow in the peace process.

Russia and Iran: not just diplomacy

In January 2025, Moscow and Tehran signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement for 20 years. It covers the economy, energy, security, and military-technical cooperation.

The agreement does not provide for automatic entry of one country into war on the side of the other. However, Russian-Iranian military ties existed long before its signing.

Since 2022, Russia has been using Iranian-origin strike drones against Ukraine. Later, the production of Russian modifications of Shahed was deployed directly on Russian territory.

In the material “Iranian operators launched ‘Shaheds’ on Ukraine” NANews has already reported on Vladimir Zelensky’s statement regarding the participation of Iranian specialists in the initial attacks on Ukrainian cities.

This is where a contradiction arises that cannot be hidden by diplomatic formulations. Putin offers help in ending the war in the Middle East, while his own army continues the war against Ukraine, using, among other things, weapons developed by Iranian partners.

Why this concerns Israel

Israel knows well what the Iranian military infrastructure represents. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — IRGC, one of the main military and political structures of the Iranian regime — plays a central role in Tehran’s missile program and its cooperation with armed groups in the region.

This includes the Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemeni Houthis. Therefore, the relations between Moscow and Tehran raise questions not only about diplomacy but also about possible exchanges of technology and intelligence information.

NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency previously published a statement from the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel about Russian-Iranian cooperation. Ukrainian diplomats called on democratic states to jointly counter the threats posed by Moscow and Tehran.

For Kyiv and Jerusalem, the threats differ, but there is a quite material connection between them: drones, military technologies, strategic partnership of the two regimes.

Peacemaker who continues his own war

As of October 9, the Russian proposal remains a political declaration. Neither the US nor Israel has publicly announced agreement to Russian mediation. There is also no confirmed agreement capable of ending the war around Iran.

Moscow is trying to strengthen its diplomatic positions by supporting Tehran while simultaneously offering help in ending the conflict.

But the main question remains unanswered: what role can a state play in achieving peace that itself is waging an aggressive war against a neighboring country?

For Israelis, this is a question of trust in a possible mediator. For Ukrainians, it is also a question of responsibility for the weapons with which the Russian army continues to attack their homes.

The organizer of the screenings Created in Ukraine announced two dates: November 4, 2026, Wednesday, the film will be shown in Tel Aviv, and November 5, Thursday, in Haifa. The link to purchase tickets is still being prepared. You can follow updates on the event page on Facebook.

Author: Stas Shifer

Grandpa Ivan, who in the first “Krashanka” planned to launch a rocket at the Kremlin, returns. Now he has a more serious plan: to build a time machine and try to change history. While his invention tests the strength of his own family, the Ukrainian comedy “Krashanka 2.0. Quantum Paradox” is preparing for its Israeli premiere.

In Ukraine, the film will be widely released on October 8, 2026. Israeli viewers will see it less than a month after the Ukrainian premiere.

In the first part, there was a rocket aimed at the Kremlin. Now — a time machine.

In 2024, director Taras Dudary presented the comedy “Krashanka.” Its main character is Ivan Andreevich Zabyaka, a retiree from the Kharkiv region, played by Stanislav Boklan. After the start of the Russian invasion, grandpa decides that waiting for victory is not enough and begins to restore an old missile launcher to strike the Kremlin.

It is at this moment that his adult children and grandson come to visit him for Easter. Instead of a peaceful family holiday, it turns into a story about war, mutual grievances, old conflicts, and a rather dangerous hobby of grandpa.

For Israeli viewers, it is worth explaining the title itself. The Ukrainian word “krashanka” means a painted Easter egg. The first film was built around a family gathering for Easter — a holiday that has great family and cultural significance in Ukraine.

In the sequel, Ivan Zabyaka changes the direction of his experiments. His new invention is the Quantum Paradox Machine, hidden in an old minibus. With this unusual transport, grandpa and his family embark on a journey where the past may turn out to be no less unpredictable than the future.

Behind all the fantasy lies a very earthly story. Relatives try to find common ground, overcome accumulated grievances, and deal with the consequences of war. There will be many jokes and incredible adventures, but the creators promise moments where viewers will find it hard to laugh.

Boklan, Zhurakovska, KOLA, and the world boxing champion

The director of the sequel is again Taras Dudary. The production was handled by Mamas Film Production with the support of the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema. The film’s duration is about 94 minutes.

Returning to the role of inventor Ivan is Stanislav Boklan, one of the most famous Ukrainian theater and film actors. His daughter Olga is played by Olesya Zhurakovska, Anna by Darya Legeida, Yaroslav by Vladimir Gladky, and grandson Mishko by Mikhail Pulyansky. The cast also includes Artur Logai and Lyudmila Zagorskaya.

But the authors decided not to limit themselves to familiar characters.

The film features singer KOLA (Anastasia Prudius), a popular Ukrainian performer, choreographer Alyona Shoptenko, and Denis Berinchyk, a former WBO lightweight world boxing champion. Berinchyk plays himself, and one of the scenes with his participation unfolds in a boxing ring.

An unusual cast was formed: professional actors, musicians, a dancer, and a world-class athlete meet in one family comedy.

Why “Krashanka 2.0. Quantum Paradox” appears in Israel

The Israeli premieres are organized by “Znyato v Ukraini” / Created in Ukraine — a company that has been distributing modern Ukrainian cinema in Israel since 2022. Its program has already included “Mavka,” “Dovbush,” “Pamfir,” “20 Days in Mariupol,” and many other films.

NANovosti — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency previously reported on the September screenings of the comedy “Train ‘Chervona Ruta’” in Tel Aviv and Haifa. At that time, Created in Ukraine brought another Ukrainian story related to music, family relationships, and an attempt to restore lost closeness.

“Krashanka” has a completely different plot, although the question is similar: how can a Ukrainian family maintain relationships when the war has changed everyone’s life?

For Russian-speaking Israelis, Ukrainian cinema is also interesting for the opportunity to see modern Ukraine beyond the daily military reports. To look at its humor, language, family traditions, and the ability to laugh even at the most difficult circumstances.

Where and when to watch “Krashanka 2.0. Quantum Paradox” in Israel

November 4, 2026, Wednesday — Tel Aviv.

November 5, 2026, Thursday — Haifa.

Organizer: Created in Ukraine / “Znyato v Ukraini”.

Exact addresses of cinemas, start times of screenings, ticket prices, and information about subtitles are not yet specified in the initial announcement.

Details and updates — on the official Facebook event page.

In the meantime, you can rewatch the first “Krashanka” and remember how grandpa Ivan’s story with the rocket ended. After all, in the second part, he aims at the very course of history.

And who knows, maybe the main task of his time machine is not to fix the past, but to help loved ones finally hear each other.

On October 8, 2026, the World Health Organization still does not have complete information about the death of 28-year-old Daria Shipilova, an employee of the Russian anti-plague institute in Irkutsk. The woman died of severe pneumonia, nearly 200 people who had contact with her were quarantined or under medical observation, and Russian authorities claim that no cases of plague have been detected.

Author: Pavel Shveiko

The death of the laboratory employee became known on October 2. Initial reports linked her to a possible pneumonic plague infection, including after an alleged incident with a test tube. This version was not confirmed but caused an international reaction. The WHO and American authorities intervened in the situation, and neighboring countries to Russia began assessing potential risks.

The peculiarity of this story is the workplace of the deceased. The Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East has existed since Soviet times, deals with particularly dangerous infections, has a collection of pathogenic bacteria, and conducts research on the plague pathogen. Moreover, Daria Shipilova’s name is found among the authors of a scientific paper on the plague bacterium presented in the spring of 2026.

What happened to the researcher, why was a large-scale quarantine needed, what information did Moscow not provide to the WHO, and how does this story concern Israel?

From hospitalization to quarantine: what happened in Irkutsk

On September 29, 2026, Daria Shipilova was hospitalized in the district hospital of the city of Shelekhov, located near Irkutsk. The woman developed severe pneumonia. On the night of October 2, she died. Russian sanitary authorities later called the disease pneumonia of unknown etiology — a medical term meaning that the specific cause of the lung inflammation was not established.

Almost simultaneously, reports of possible pneumonic plague infection appeared. Some publications linked the disease to an alleged damage to a laboratory test tube containing a dangerous microorganism. Other versions of possible infection were also considered, but no evidence was presented for any of them.

Rospotrebnadzor — the Russian state agency that performs sanitary and epidemiological surveillance functions — stated that no incidents with dangerous pathogens were recorded at the institute. According to the agency, studies of the deceased’s samples did not reveal microorganisms related to her professional activities.

At the same time, anti-epidemic measures turned out to be large-scale. About 200 people who had contact with Shipilova were placed under observation and quarantine. According to independent journalists, more than 60 institute employees were isolated inside the institution. Restrictions were introduced in medical organizations, and the operating mode of the Shelekhov hospital temporarily changed.

The Russian side reported thousands of studies conducted and the absence of detected cases of plague. Some of the examined individuals were found to have other respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Some of the contacts were later released from quarantine restrictions.

Quarantine itself does not prove that plague infection occurred. In cases of suspected particularly dangerous infection, such measures may be introduced until final laboratory results are obtained. However, such a serious reaction from sanitary services requires a clear explanation: what specific risks were assessed by specialists and what information served as the basis for isolating people?

The WHO requested documents but did not receive a complete picture

On October 7, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, spoke at an official briefing in Geneva. His statement confirmed that the situation in Irkutsk became the subject of an international epidemiological investigation.

According to the WHO head, on October 2, Russian authorities held a meeting in connection with the suspicion of a dangerous infection in a resident of the Irkutsk region. The next day, the organization requested information in accordance with the International Health Regulations.

For the Israeli reader, this is an important detail. The International Health Regulations are a mechanism by which states are obliged to assess events that may pose a transboundary health threat and, if the established criteria are met, report them to the WHO. Israel is also a participant in this system. Its task is to prevent a situation where a disease spreads beyond the initial outbreak before other countries receive a warning.

On October 6, Russia informed the WHO that there were no recently registered cases of plague in the Irkutsk region and confirmed quarantine for about 200 contacts. But the organization requested additional results of laboratory analyses of the deceased and examined people, information about the condition of contacts, and an explanation of the reasons for the sanitary measures taken.

In addition, the WHO asked to verify reports of a second institute employee who allegedly fell ill with pneumonia of unknown origin. Confirmation of this case is not available at the time of publication.

Ghebreyesus emphasized that the organization does not yet have a complete picture of what is happening and therefore cannot conduct a full risk assessment. The WHO also offered technical assistance on plague, laboratory safety, and the protection of dangerous biological materials.

Thus, the international organization did not declare an outbreak of plague in Russia. It demanded information that would allow verifying the absence of such an outbreak and establishing the circumstances of the employee’s death.

A hundred years of history: why an anti-plague institute was created in Siberia

The Irkutsk anti-plague institute appeared long before modern discussions about biological safety. Its history began in 1923 with the organization of a specialized laboratory designed to study and prevent the spread of plague in Eastern Siberia.

The reasons were quite practical. In Transbaikalia, Mongolia, and some other regions of Asia, there were natural foci of plague. The disease pathogen can circulate among wild rodents and their parasites for a long time without constant human infection. Human contact with such natural reservoirs sometimes leads to dangerous epidemiological situations.

In 1934, an independent anti-plague institute was created based on the laboratory. Its first head was microbiologist Alexey Skorodumov, who participated in organizing sanitary surveillance over vast territories of Siberia and the Far East.

The institute was not limited to one city. A network of anti-plague stations and specialized units was formed, including in Chita and Khabarovsk. Mobile laboratories and anti-plague trains were used to work in remote areas, capable of delivering specialists to where there was suspicion of a dangerous disease.

This scientific institution also has a tragic Soviet history. In 1937, Skorodumov was arrested during Stalin’s repressions. In April 1939, he was executed, and in 1955 he was rehabilitated.

After the war, the institute continued to expand its research directions. In addition to plague, specialists dealt with cholera, tularemia, brucellosis, anthrax, and infections associated with natural foci of diseases. Field expeditions, laboratory studies, and the training of doctors and microbiologists were conducted.

Today, the institution is subordinate to Rospotrebnadzor. In published documents, its long-term head is listed as Sergey Balakhonov. Scientific activities cover epidemiology, bacteriology, the study of animals — natural carriers of infections, diagnostics, and anti-epidemic training.

According to information published in 2024, the institute employed 115 scientific staff and doctors, including nine doctors of science. These figures should not be taken as the total number of personnel in October 2026, as technical, administrative, and support workers are counted separately.

What pathogens are stored and researched at the institute

The institute has specialized laboratories, equipment for microbiological research, and a collection of pathogenic bacteria. This is confirmed by the institution’s own scientific publications, including materials from conferences in 2024.

Among the described research objects is Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague. Scientific works mention collection strains of this microorganism, as well as pathogens of tularemia and other natural focal infections.

The presence of such collections is not unusual for a specialized anti-plague institute. Such institutions must have the necessary samples and scientific materials to develop diagnostics, study the properties of pathogens, and test the effectiveness of treatment methods.

At the same time, working with viable cultures of particularly dangerous microorganisms requires special biological protection conditions, trained personnel, and an established procedure for handling the material. Specific requirements depend on the pathogen and the nature of the procedure being performed.

The institute’s published materials mention the plague microbiology department, epidemiological, zoological-parasitological, and other specialized areas. The institution also participates in the preparation of mobile anti-epidemic teams that can be involved in investigating infection outbreaks.

Historically, the institute has cooperated with scientific and sanitary organizations in Mongolia and China. Such interaction is explained by the geography of natural foci: infected animals, fleas, and other carriers are not limited by state borders.

However, open materials do not allow establishing the full composition of the institute’s collection in September 2026, the exact location of individual cultures, and the laboratory operations that Daria Shipilova performed directly before her illness.

Daria Shipilova herself participated in the study of the plague pathogen

One of the most significant details of the deceased’s biography can be established from the published materials of the XVIII All-Russian Congress on Infectious Diseases.

The program of the event on March 31, 2026, included a work dedicated to studying the sensitivity of Yersinia pestis from natural foci of Siberia to antibacterial drugs. Among the co-authors is Shipilova D. N., along with other researchers from the Irkutsk anti-plague institute, including Sergey Balakhonov. The speaker was Svetlana Vityazeva.

The study concerned strains of the bacterium from natural foci of the Altai Mountains and Tuva. Specialists compared the results of methods for determining the sensitivity of the pathogen to antibiotics used in the treatment of plague. The scientific work noted differences between the results of individual methods, but overall the studied strains demonstrated high sensitivity to the considered drugs.

Other published information about Shipilova’s professional biography indicates that she worked in the plague microbiology department at least until early 2025. In August 2026, her name was also associated with exercises of rapid response anti-epidemic teams.

According to acquaintances, Daria was a capable researcher. She was interested not only in science but also in music, participated in creative events of the agency’s employees.

These details are important primarily because they allow seeing a specific person with a professional biography behind the message about a “laboratory employee.”

And here it is necessary to maintain accuracy. Co-authorship in the study of the plague bacterium does not prove that she was conducting experiments with live cultures in the last days of September. Moreover, it does not establish the cause of death. But it confirms her professional connection with the research group dealing with the disease pathogen, around which so many questions have now arisen.

Soviet biological legacy and accusations of weapon development

The history of the institute inevitably touches on another topic — the Soviet system of studying dangerous microorganisms and the USSR’s biological weapons program.

The Soviet Union indeed developed biological weapons, using a separate network of military and closed scientific enterprises. At the same time, there was a civilian anti-plague service responsible for diagnosing infections, researching natural foci, and protecting the population.

There were scientific and personnel connections between different directions of Soviet microbiology, but equating every anti-plague institution with a biological weapons development center would be incorrect. The mere presence of dangerous bacteria does not prove the military purpose of the laboratory.

To date, there is no verified information that Shipilova’s death is related to the development of biological weapons. It has not even been established whether the infection occurred professionally.

However, the situation creates a noticeable contrast with the Russian information campaign against Ukraine. For many years, Russian state structures and propagandists have spread claims about allegedly secret American biological laboratories in Ukraine.

NAnews has already examined this topic in the article “Biolaboratories in Ukraine” resurfaced in the US: how the Russian fake reached American intelligence, as well as in the article “Biolaboratory Mirage: why the old fake about Ukraine was launched against Kyiv again”.

In both cases, the principle of verification is the same: the existence of laboratories, foreign scientific contacts, or collections of microorganisms cannot automatically be turned into evidence of weapon development. But states are obliged to ensure biological safety and provide reliable information about events potentially dangerous to the population.

It is from these positions that NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency considers what is happening in Irkutsk. There is a confirmed death of a researcher and real anti-epidemic measures, but the cause of the disease remains unestablished.

Why pneumonic plague causes particular concern

Plague has been known to humanity for centuries. Its pathogen Yersinia pestis persists in natural reservoirs, mainly among small mammals and fleas. For the population of Israel, the very name of the disease is primarily associated with the medieval “Black Death,” which devastated a significant part of Europe.

However, modern medicine has effective means of treating plague, primarily antibiotics. Timely diagnosis is critically important.

There are bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic forms of the disease. The bubonic form is characterized by the involvement of lymph nodes. The septicemic form is associated with the spread of infection in the blood. The pneumonic form is particularly dangerous due to the rapid development of severe pneumonia and the possibility of transmitting the infection between people through respiratory particles during close contact.

The incubation period of pneumonic plague can be very short, sometimes about a day. Without treatment, the disease can quickly lead to severe complications and death. Timely initiated antibiotic therapy significantly increases the chances of recovery.

That is why, in cases of suspected such a disease, sanitary services may isolate contacts even before the diagnosis is finally confirmed. For specialists, it is important not only to identify the bacterium but also to establish potential chains of infection transmission.

Therefore, the large quarantine in Irkutsk may indicate the seriousness of the initial concerns, but it is not in itself proof of a plague outbreak.

What the US and Ukraine say

The United States responded to reports about Irkutsk with requests for additional information. President Donald Trump offered Russia assistance and spoke about the intention to discuss the situation with Putin. Later, the Kremlin denied the existence of a planned phone conversation.

The American side, meanwhile, did not announce a confirmed plague outbreak or an established incident with biological weapons. The main subject of international appeals remains the circumstances of the death, the results of studies, and the sufficiency of the information provided by Moscow.

In Ukraine, on October 7, Foreign Ministry representative Georgy Tikhiy reported that competent authorities are monitoring the situation. According to him, at that time, there was no threat to Ukraine. He also reminded of the absence of direct passenger communication with Russia.

For Ukraine, this story is important not only from a medical point of view. In the context of ongoing Russian aggression, the exchange of epidemiological information remains necessary regardless of political relations. Infectious diseases do not obey military borders, and potential risks to the civilian population require professional, not propagandistic, assessment.

At the same time, there is no confirmed information about the spread of plague from the Irkutsk region to Ukraine.

Is there a danger for Israel

For Israeli readers, the most important practical question is whether the alleged infection can reach Israel and whether there is a reason for additional precautionary measures.

As of October 8, there are no confirmed cases of plague importation from the Irkutsk region to Israel. Verified reports also lack a separate warning from the Israeli Ministry of Health specifically related to this incident.

Irkutsk is located in Eastern Siberia, thousands of kilometers from Israel. But in epidemiology, distance itself does not guarantee the absence of risk: international travel allows people to move between continents much faster than a number of infectious diseases develop.

Israel has its own epidemiological surveillance system, including the Ministry of Health, medical laboratories, and hospitals capable of examining patients suspected of dangerous infections. If necessary, information is received through WHO international mechanisms.

For understanding what is happening, an analogy with Israeli medical practice is useful. When a patient with suspected particularly dangerous infection is admitted to a hospital, anti-epidemic measures may be introduced even before the pathogen is confirmed. Such caution does not mean that the diagnosis is already established.

Therefore, the events in Irkutsk do not provide grounds to declare a threat to Israel or recommend any unusual protective measures to the country’s residents. However, the lack of verified data prevents international specialists from fully assessing the situation.

What remains unknown a week later

By October 8, the main circumstances of Daria Shipilova’s death, her professional connection with the study of the plague pathogen, the history of the institution where she worked, and the scale of the sanitary measures taken have been established.

But the main medical question remains without a publicly confirmed answer: what exactly caused the fatal pneumonia?

Russian authorities deny a laboratory accident and the presence of plague cases. The WHO acknowledges receiving part of the information but requests additional data. The report of a second sick employee remains unverified. Independent confirmation of Shipilova’s infection with the bacterium Yersinia pestis is also absent.

In this case, too much depends on documents that usually remain out of public view: laboratory research protocols, results of repeated analyses, reports of sanitary commissions, and medical information about the condition of contacts.

The story of Daria Shipilova has already become a test not only of the Russian laboratory safety system but also of the state’s readiness to provide international medical organizations with information about potentially dangerous incidents.

The WHO does not require recognizing plague where it is not proven. The organization seeks the data necessary to establish what actually happened.

And as long as this data is insufficient, the death of the young researcher remains publicly unexplained to the end, and the anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, created almost a century ago to protect people from dangerous infections, found itself at the center of an international investigation into circumstances related to one of them.

Publishing an article on an Israeli website does not mean simply sending over a text, inserting a link and waiting for it to go live.

NAnews works differently.

We accept partner, expert and commercial materials, PR publications, interviews and reviews, but we follow one simple rule: the text must be a real article for readers, not just packaging for a backlink.

NAnews is an independent multilingual publication about Israel, Ukraine and everything that connects the two countries. We therefore accept materials about Israel, Ukraine, business, technology, travel, culture, history, society, services, the job market, real estate and other topics that naturally fit the specific platform within our network.

If you need article placement in Israel, a PR publication, a guest post or a link from an Israeli website, you can contact us directly.

Not Just Buying a Link in Israel

Yes, links can be included in a partner article.

Up to two links in one article.

But there is one condition we do not compromise on: regardless of which website the link points to, the article itself must match the topic of the platform where it is published.

A link to a construction company can naturally appear in a strong article about home renovation in Israel. A link to a travel service can fit into an article about trips. A business can talk about its work if there is a real topic behind it: information, experience, data or a story.

But we will not publish a text that exists only because someone needs a backlink.

For SEO agencies, this is probably the most important point: we do not sell space inside random text. We publish material that should still make sense even without the link.

What Kind of Content Can Be Published

We consider both ready-made articles from partners and materials that need to be created from scratch.

This can be an expert article, interview, story about a company or project, service review, research piece, useful guide, case study, thematic PR publication or an article with a careful brand integration.

If an advertiser only has a topic, source material and the links that need to be included, our editorial team can prepare the article.

Ready-made content is not published automatically either. We read it first.

Our editors may adjust the headline, structure, wording, factual inaccuracies and formatting. Sometimes only minor changes are needed. Sometimes it is easier to rewrite part of the text than to try to rescue an advertising paragraph that reads like a leaflet.

That is a normal part of the process.

How Partner Content Is Labeled

Partner publications on NAnews are marked with:

#promotion

For Israeli readers, this means that the publication is commercial or partner content — a material published as part of cooperation with a company, organization or other client.

The fact that a publication is paid does not mean that the editorial team automatically agrees with every statement made by the author or advertiser.

Link Placement on Israeli Websites

One article may contain up to two external links.

It is best to agree in advance on the anchor text, destination URL and placement of the link. We do not insert hidden links or disguise them as interface elements or random words.

If your goal is specifically link building in Israel, mention this from the start. We will look at which platform in our network best fits the topic.

Our network includes both general information resources and separate thematic projects. That means an article about healthcare, renovation, employment, events or everyday life in Israel does not necessarily have to appear on a general news website.

That is usually better both for the reader and for the link itself.

Where an Article Can Be Published

Depending on the language and topic, the material may be published on one of the main NAnews network platforms:

news.nikk.co.il

nikk.agency

nikk.ua

as well as on thematic websites within our network.

You can see the full list of projects on nikk.co.il or ask us when you get in touch.

Nikk.Agency helps businesses buy links in Israel and place advertising and SEO articles on Israeli websites, thematic media, local portals and resources in the .co.il domain zone.

If you need SEO links, advertising articles, guest posts or publications on Israeli websites, contact Nikk.Agency.

We will select platforms that match your topic, budget and goals and organize the placement from the first contact through to the final publication.

NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency works naturally with several audiences at once, so the same advertising request can sometimes be implemented in different ways: through a news resource, a thematic website or a specific language version of a platform.

Which Languages Are Available

The main languages of our network are Russian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, French and English. Some platforms also offer additional language versions.

For Israeli companies, this means that a publication does not have to be limited to Hebrew. For example, one company may want to reach Hebrew-speaking readers in Israel, Russian-speaking Israelis and readers in Ukraine at the same time.

But this does not mean automatically machine-translating one advertising article into every available language.

Each language version should read naturally for its own audience.

What We Do Not Publish

We do not publish materials that violate the laws of Israel or Ukraine.

We also do not accept publications that may harm Israel or Ukraine, their security, or significant state or public interests.

We do not publish fraudulent offers, knowingly false information, texts with deceptive links or materials that have no meaningful connection to the topic of the selected website.

Mass-produced AI content is a separate issue.

The use of artificial intelligence tools by itself is not a reason for rejection. But a text assembled from repetitive SEO phrases, duplicated ideas and empty paragraphs will not pass editorial review. We need material that people can actually read.

How Much Does Publication Cost

There is no single price for all websites in the network.

The cost depends on the platform, language, topic, amount of editorial work, whether the article needs to be written by us, and any additional placement conditions.

So the fastest way is to send us your brief directly.

If you need to publish an article in Israel, order partner content, a PR publication, guest post or link placement on one of our websites, write to:

info@nikk.agency

or contact us via WhatsApp.

In your message, it is best to include the article topic, the client’s website or company, the preferred language, the platform — if you have already chosen one — and up to two links that need to be placed.

If you have not chosen a platform yet, that is fine. We will review the topic and suggest the most suitable option.

On October 7, 2026, the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel published an appeal to Israelis on the anniversary of the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. Diplomats addressed the audience almost simultaneously in Hebrew, Ukrainian, and English.

Author: Editorial Staff of NANews

“Ukraine stands shoulder to shoulder with Israel in memory and mourning. We honor the memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks on October 7 and express solidarity and support to their families and the people of Israel,” reads the Ukrainian version of the appeal.

It concludes with the words: “May their memory be blessed.”

In Hebrew, the embassy chose a slightly different, more direct wording: אוקראינה עומדת לצד ישראל בזיכרון ובכאב — literally: “Ukraine stands with Israel in memory and pain.”

This phrase perhaps most accurately conveys the meaning of the brief diplomatic appeal.

For the Israeli reader, the date itself requires no explanation. October 7, 2023, became one of the most tragic dates in the history of the State of Israel: the Hamas attack on the south of the country, mass killings, kidnappings, and the ensuing war changed the life of the country for years.

But in this case, it is also important who exactly is saying these words. Ukraine continues its own full-scale war and faces daily casualties, injuries, destroyed homes, and families who have lost loved ones.

Therefore, today’s appeal from Kyiv to Israel is not just a mandatory diplomatic formula for a commemorative date.

NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency has already reported how the memory of October 7 appears in the Ukrainian-Israeli space not only at the level of official statements. In Ukraine this year, an event was announced RUN 7.10 — “We run and walk together with Israel”, dedicated to the memory of those who died on October 7.

And just two days before the current anniversary, Israeli Minister Zeev Elkin during a visit to Kyiv met with Jewish communities of Ukraine. That meeting also ended with lit candles in memory of those who died on October 7.

Today, the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Israel has already spoken about this in the language of the country that experienced that tragedy:

“Ukraine stands with Israel — in memory and pain.”

And added the traditional words for Israel, which are spoken here in memory of the deceased:

יהי זכרם ברוך — may their memory be blessed.