Israel in the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has had a significant echo in Israel. The country’s substantial Russian-speaking population, which makes up nearly 20% of Israel’s total population, Russia’s presence in Syria, and the growing rapprochement between Russia and Iran in the context of the war in Ukraine—leading Hezbollah to launch the same Iranian drones at Israel that Russia fires against Ukraine—are some of the ways in which the war has resonated in Israel. Despite this, Israel has largely remained neutral, refraining from providing military supplies to Ukraine. This talk will explore the interactions between the war in Ukraine and the situation in Israel, drawing on personal experiences and reporting in both Israel and Ukraine.

 

Milàn Czerny is an investigative journalist specializing in OSINT-based investigations. He is currently a staff reporter for Shomrim, Israel’s only independent non-profit investigative news organization, where he has focused on exploring the intersection of the war in Ukraine and in Gaza. He is also a freelance contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s Ukraine’s bureau.  Previously, Milàn was a special correspondent for the Russian-language independent media outlet The Insider where he published dozens of long-read, news stories, and video reporting.  

 

Milàn holds an MPhil in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Oxford (St. Antony’s College), and a BA in International Relations from the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. He speaks fluently Russian, French, Hebrew, English, and has basic knowledge of Ukrainian.