Two IDF reserve soldiers from northern Israel were arrested for spying for Iran, the Shin Bet and Israel Police announced on Monday.

The suspects, Yuri Eliasfov and Georgi Andrayev, both 21-year-old residents of the Krayot (suburbs of Haifa), were arrested earlier this month for suspected severe security offenses.

Their interrogation revealed that Yuri, the main suspect, was contacted by an Iranian operator on social media while he was searching for a job. The agent suggested that he carry out tasks for financial compensation. Among other things, he spray-painted graffiti, writing the message “Children of Ruhollah” [Ruhollah Khomeini was the first leader of Iran after the Islamic Revolution] in various locations across the country.

Months later, Yuri suggested to his friend Georgi that he also contact the Iranian operator to carry out tasks for financial reward, despite his awareness that the operator was an enemy of Israel, telling him that it was “easy money.”

Georgi accepted Yuri’s offer and began to communicate with the handler, also spraying graffiti under his direction and assisting Yuri in hanging a sign under the agent’s directives.

At one point, the two friends exchanged articles from the media in Israel about Iranian espionage over the past year, including an article about the previous Israeli spy who was caught. They talked about the possible penalties, and Georgi – who was serving at that time as a reserve soldier at the Kirya in Tel Aviv – became frightened and stopped cooperating with the handler.

Yuri began spying during his regular IDF service and continued during his reserve duty. He served in the Iron Dome air defense unit and was exposed to classified information. At the request of his operators, he filmed and transmitted a video about the Iron Dome system which conveyed information at the highest classification level.

Until he was caught, Yuri received $2,500, while Georgi received only $50. Both admitted to the charges against them during the investigations, and recounted the missions assigned to them, the information they provided, and the rewards they received.

Major Sarit Peretz, an investigation officer in the National Unit for Serious and International Crime (Yahbal) at Lahav 433, explained that “Yuri Eliasfov is charged with aiding the enemy in wartime, the most severe offense in the law book, with a penalty of life imprisonment or death. Whoever received the video from Yuri and understands these systems could act against the state of Israel, which is very dangerous. The video contained very sensitive information.”

“Yuri claims he transmitted part of the video and not the whole thing. But even the part he claims he sent posed a significant danger. Their connection with the foreign entity began at the end of September, they have been under investigation for two weeks, and of course, we detained them beforehand. We conducted a joint investigation with Yahbal, the Shin Bet, and the Military Police. They were in regular service, were discharged, and immediately after that enlisted in reserves and stayed in the army continuously.”

The investigation by the police and Shin Bet indicated that Yuri and Georgi understood they were in contact with an Iranian operator, among other things based on the media reports were exposed to at that time regarding the arrest and investigation of Israeli citizens who had been in touch with Iranian intelligence agents and carried out similar tasks for them.

A prosecutor’s statement was filed against the two suspects on Monday morning, and in the coming days, the prosecution is expected to file a serious indictment against them.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)