On November 13, 2026, the publication IsraLife published an interview by Petr Lyukimson with 49-year-old Yonatan Karlinsky-Mashek — a resident of Beitar Illit, Israel, who went to pray in Uman in September and is now serving as a military doctor in Ukraine. Over the past two months, his story has changed more than the initial publications suggested. Yonatan himself says he does not regret what happened.
Author: Pavel Shveiko
We immediately recommend reading the original — “I do not regret it.” Interview with an Israeli who flew to Ukraine — and ended up on the front line. Lyukimson asked the interviewee in detail about Kyiv, the two Maidans, his conversion to Judaism, life in Israel, and his current service. We will not retell this entire conversation: it deserves to be read in full. Let us recall what was previously discovered and highlight the main new points.
How a pilgrim ended up in the military system
In September, NANews analyzed this story twice. On September 18, we wrote about how the report of a detained Hasid turned into a fabrication in the Russian information space about immediate deployment to the front. On September 23, after a comment from Ukrainian border guards, we outlined the circumstances of the document check and explained why having an Israeli passport did not resolve the issue.
Karlinsky-Mashek was born in Kyiv, reportedly lived in Israel for about 14 years and studied in a yeshiva — a religious educational institution. On Rosh Hashanah, he went to Uman, where the grave of Rabbi Nachman, the founder of Breslov Hasidism, is located. Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims come here, including from Israel. Due to the war, the trip usually goes through countries neighboring Ukraine.
On September 16, the bus on which Yonatan was returning home arrived at the Orlivka — Isaccea crossing on the Ukrainian-Romanian border. He presented an Israeli passport, but the check showed that he still retained Ukrainian citizenship. A fellow passenger reported that the border guards’ attention was drawn to his Ukrainian language. This is the witness’s version, not the officially stated reason for the check.
On September 23, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine clarified: Yonatan was listed as wanted on military records. He was handed over to the National Police. The border guards separately emphasized that they do not conduct mobilization at the checkpoint. The question of further service was decided after the man was transferred to other authorities.
What happened after the detention
At first, the family did not know where he was. His wife Odel told Walla that she missed two of his calls and later learned about a military facility near Odessa. Relatives and acquaintances contacted Israeli diplomats and representatives of Jewish communities.
On September 24–25, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine reported that a medical position was found for Yonatan in the rear near Kharkiv. According to the organization, he had previously served in the Ukrainian army and now requested not to carry weapons for religious reasons. His request, it was reported, was taken into account. Independent confirmation of previous military service is not yet available.
The Chief Rabbi of Odessa and southern Ukraine, Avraham Wolf, and Chabad emissary Shneur Vigler helped organize kosher food, a prayer book, and items for the Sukkot holiday, including an etrog from Israeli Kfar Chabad. For a person observing religious prescriptions, this is not a trifle: army food and service schedule do not always allow observing kashrut and Shabbat.
On September 29, The Jerusalem Post reported on an agreement to transfer Yonatan to a medical center in Odessa, near the Jewish community. However, the publication stated that the transfer was yet to come. In the November interview, he himself describes working near Kharkiv. When and why the destination changed is unclear from open reports.
What is known now
In the IsraLife interview, Yonatan for the first time tells in detail about his life before repatriation. He studied to be a doctor in Kyiv, participated in the Orange Revolution and Euromaidan, and in 2013–2014 helped the wounded in a medical tent. After moving to Israel, he tried to obtain a local medical license but failed to return to practice. At the same time, the dates of his move in early reports and in the story about Euromaidan do not quite match. Now, he claims, he is working again in his specialty — as a neurologist.
He also talks about how he observes Shabbat, why he cannot receive the accrued salary, and what attitudes he encounters in the army.
He also clarified family circumstances. Early publications, including ours, mistakenly called him the father of six children. According to updated information, he has one daughter living in Kyiv; his wife has two children from a previous marriage, and the couple has no children together.
For details of family life, the decision to divorce, relationships with colleagues, and views on the war, it is better to read Lyukimson’s account — this is Yonatan’s story, not our guesses.
Why this story is important for Israel
Israeli citizenship does not automatically cancel a person’s obligations to the country of which he also remains a citizen. This case showed how unexpected the consequences of a trip can be for a repatriate with dual citizenship.
It also touched on another painful issue: why a certified doctor, unable to obtain a license in Israel, was in demand as a medic in war-torn Ukraine? This is his personal experience, not proof that all repatriate doctors are barred from the profession.
Even in September, the word “front” appeared in headlines long before his appointment was confirmed. It is now known that Yonatan works in a medical facility, not in the “assault units” described at the time.
The detailed human side of this story — including the answer to the question of why he does not regret what happened — read in Petr Lyukimson’s interview on IsraLife.