On September 25, 2026, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Russian attacks on Kyiv following the death of a 14-year-old Israeli citizen. But this statement is far from the first. Over four and a half years of war, Israeli diplomacy has several times directly named Russia, sometimes spoke more cautiously, and at certain periods preferred humanitarian aid to publicly accusing Moscow.
Author: Stas Shifer
If you compile these statements by date, you can see not a single consistent diplomatic line, but rather noticeable fluctuations.
September 25, 2026: A 14-year-old Israeli citizen dies — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly speaks about Russian attacks
On September 25, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it condemns Russian attacks on Kyiv, which resulted in the death of a 14-year-old Israeli, and about 20 people, including his mother, were injured.
“We condemn the recent Russian attacks on Kyiv, which resulted in the death of a 14-year-old Israeli citizen last night, and 20 people, including the boy’s mother, were injured,” the ministry’s statement said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences to the teenager’s family and other families who lost loved ones “as a result of Russian aggression.”
The family lived in a high-rise building in the Pechersk district of Kyiv, near the Israeli embassy. Relatives requested to transport the teenager’s body to Israel, where his grandparents live. That same night, Russia attacked Ukraine with hundreds of drones of various types; the Ukrainian Air Force reported 295 drones.
This statement stands out for one detail: the Russian strike this time directly took the life of an Israeli citizen. However, the formula for condemning Russia was not new for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
January 28, 2026: Saar again condemns Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilians
On January 28, 2026, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sibiga.
After the conversation, the Israeli side reported that Saar expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people and condemned Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilians. He also expressed hope for reaching an agreement that would end the war.
Thus, the January statement was not a reaction to the death of an Israeli or damage to an Israeli object. It was specifically about strikes on the civilian population of Ukraine.
August 1, 2025: Russian strike hit the home of an Israeli embassy employee
On August 1, 2025, Saar reacted even more harshly after a strike on residential areas of Kyiv.
“I condemn Russian strikes on residential areas of Kyiv, which led to enormous and tragic human losses,” wrote the head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He reported that he spoke with the secretary of the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine: her home was also damaged.
Saar again called for a sustainable peace that should ensure Ukraine’s security. Here, Russia was no longer hiding behind formulas like “hostilities” or “parties to the conflict.” It was named directly.
July 23, 2025: “Israel condemns Russian strikes on civilians”
A few days before this, on July 23, 2025, Gideon Saar was in Kyiv and spoke alongside Andriy Sibiga.
At that time, one of the most direct Israeli formulations during the entire full-scale war was voiced:
“Israel condemns Russian strikes on civilians.”
Saar also spoke about “a long-lasting and sustainable peace that ensures Ukraine’s security,” called the relations between Israel and Ukraine special, and explained that he came to Kyiv to express support for the Ukrainian people.
NANews detailed that visit in the article “We condemn Russia’s strikes on the civilian population”: Gideon Saar in Kyiv.
Another interesting point. When the statement appeared, some publications described it almost as the first case when the Israeli Foreign Minister directly condemned Russia. Historically, this is incorrect: such statements were made back in February and March 2022.
2024: After the strike on “Ohmatdyt” — aid instead of a separate harsh statement
On July 8, 2024, a Russian missile hit the “Ohmatdyt” children’s hospital in Kyiv — the largest specialized children’s medical center in Ukraine. A UN monitoring mission later reported a high probability of a direct missile hit launched by the Russian Federation.
The Israeli reaction at that time primarily followed a humanitarian line. Ambassador Michael Brodsky reported readiness to accept Ukrainian children with cancer in Israel and discussed assistance in restoring the hospital. Israel was already cooperating with “Ohmatdyt”: Ukrainian children had been treated in Israeli clinics before.
At the same time, in the official publications available to us from that period, we did not find a separate statement from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a formula like “we condemn the Russian strike on ‘Ohmatdyt’.” This is also part of the story and should not be retroactively embellished.