INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
As Israel marks the first anniversary of the deadly Oct
7 Hamas attack amid fears of a wider war erupting in the Middle East, Russians who fled to Israel following the invasion of Ukraine told The
Moscow Times they have little interest in returning to their homeland.The anniversary of Oct
7 comes as Israel remains deeply engaged in deadly fighting in Gaza, escalates hostilities with Hamas ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and
confronts the looming threat of a broader conflict involving Tehran.But despite the escalation, some Russian emigres said the political
We had a great life before 2022 and leaving was heartbreaking
Russians in Israel said that while the current situation in the Middle East is far from stable, it feels less threatening than the political
moved to Israel with her family said she felt a surge of patriotism during and after the Hamas attack, which sparked widespread solidarity
42, told The Moscow Times, referring to Hamas' deadly Oct
Some 251 people were captured and taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip in 2023, of whom 97 are still held captive in the coastal territory,
including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.The Oct
Lebanon.Since last month, Israel has conducted massive strikes on Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon and launched ground operations across
The war has killed more than 1,110 people in Lebanon and forced more than one million to flee their homes.To the south, Israel's campaign
in Gaza in retaliation to the Oct
7 attack is far from over
of whom were civilians, have been killed in the territory since the start of the war
The figures have been deemed to be reliable by the United Nations.The fighting in Gaza and Lebanon has been accompanied by the threat of war
with Iran, raising fears of an all-out regional conflict.Despite the threat, some Russians who moved to Israel told The Moscow Times that
they trusted the Israeli army to protect its citizens.Others said they were more concerned by the threat of knife attacks or shootings,
6 incursion into Russia's Kursk region that continues to this day."It feels as if the [Russian] government has abandoned its citizens
concern over the regionwide escalation and were considering the possibility of moving from Israel to another country, the idea of going back
to Russia is one that they are not ready to reconsider."Returning to Russia? It seems like madness to me," Denis said
