Israelis detained by border control in Ukraine due to a packet of salt

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, nine Israeli tourists were detained while attempting to cross the border from Ukraine to Moldova. The reason was a mistake during a vehicle inspection: a package with regular salt was mistaken by border guards for a suspicious substance. The incident was reported by N12 News.

The group arrived in Ukraine for a religious purpose — to visit the grave of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi and pray for a trip participant suffering from cancer. After that, the tourists were heading to Moldova, from where they planned to fly back to Israel.

An inspection that went off script

During the car inspection, a border guard discovered a package with white contents. Without understanding, he extracted it and left it on the car floor, then called the police.

The tourists’ passports were confiscated, and the group was taken to a station. They had to spend the night locked in the car in the parking lot, without food, water, or any official explanations.

“We were in complete despair”

One of the detainees, Hadar Admoni, said she still doesn’t know who owned that package — it might have been regular salt used on the road. She emphasizes: neither she nor other group members had any prohibited substances.

“We spent the whole night in the cold, locked in the car. We were given no explanations, no water, no food. We didn’t give any statements. It felt like outright hostility. We are ordinary people,” said Admoni.

Who they turned to for help

Realizing the situation was at an impasse, the tourists contacted Chabad of Odessa, as well as Knesset member Zeev Elkin, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and his advisor Motti Franco.

Rabbi Shneur Vigler promptly contacted the Ukrainian authorities. Soon, a laboratory analysis confirmed: the “suspicious package” was regular salt.

Why the detention continued anyway

Despite the test results, the release of the tourists was delayed. According to Vigler, such stories, unfortunately, are not the first. However, Ukrainian officials, he said, eventually showed willingness to help with the return of documents.

Only the next morning, after more than 20 hours of detention and active intervention by Israeli officials, was the group released.

Stress, missed flight, and the way home

“It was extreme stress. Some cried, some nearly fainted. My daughter had a panic attack,” recalls Admoni. The tourists admit they felt fear and helplessness, especially since the authorities already knew there was no threat but did not explain what was happening.

As a result, the group missed their flight from Moldova to Israel and had to urgently seek alternative ways to return home.

This case once again showed how vulnerable ordinary trips can be under heightened nervousness at the region’s borders. Such stories and their consequences for Israelis abroad continue to be monitored by NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency.

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