(Adnkronos) – Israeli-Russian freelance journalist Nick Kolyohin was removed from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plane bound for Washington moments before departure, after a final security check. The Jerusalem Post reported this. According to the reporter’s account, he had received regular authorization to travel with the prime minister’s press delegation, but was stopped at the gate and asked to leave the aircraft by security officials, who reportedly explained the need for checks on his “relationships”.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the incident to the Post, explaining that “for security reasons, officials decided not to allow him to board the flight.” The Shin Bet also clarified that decisions regarding access to sensitive travel are made within its legal mandate to protect the prime minister and national security.
Kolyohin has a background in the Israeli Defense Forces, where he served in an elite combat unit. He subsequently worked for years in Israeli television, also holding the position of deputy director of Channel 10’s main newscast and was a correspondent for science, technology, and environment until 2016. Since 2018, he has been a correspondent in Israel for the Chinese news agency Xinhua and works freelance for various international media, including Newsmax in the United States and Izvestia in Russia. According to the Post, he also collaborates with Russia Today, the official Kremlin channel, for which he often covers the Middle East, Israel, Iran, the war in Gaza, and major international geopolitical issues.
