The Israeli man suspected of photographing former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s home on behalf of Iran was employed as a maintenance contractor at the Kirya military complex in Tel Aviv, Kan News reported on Thursday.

The suspect, Vadim Kupriyanov, worked for the past three years as a maintenance contractor at the Kirya. On the day IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir assumed office, Kupriyanov was urgently summoned to fix an air-conditioning leak in the chief of staff’s office. As part of his work, he also had access to other sensitive areas within the complex.

According to the indictment, about two months ago, Kupriyanov established contact with an Iranian foreign agent after the latter posted in a Telegram group seeking Israeli workers for a paid marketing project. The two began corresponding on Telegram, and throughout November, Kupriyanov was assigned various missions in return for payments transferred via PayPal.

Among the tasks he carried out were photographing and filming shopping centers in central Israel, documenting product prices in supermarkets, and filming the process of purchasing SIM cards for tourists. When he was unable to complete certain assignments as instructed, he improvised alternative methods. In one instance, he was directed to buy a car camera capable of 24-hour continuous recording, drive to Bennett’s home, leave the car parked on the street, and leave the area.

Kupriyanov traveled to Ra’anana with the camera operating and livestreaming, but after failing to find parking near the residence, he circled the area several times, gave up, and returned home. He later sent the Iranian agent about five video clips showing the street and the entrance to Bennett’s home.

It should be noted that just last week, Iranian hackers breached Bennett’s phone. The hack led to the online leak of his contact list, which included current and former senior security officials, Mossad and Shin Bet personnel, senior Israeli and foreign politicians, members of elite military units, journalists, diplomats, and relatives of hostages and fallen soldiers.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)