On November 9, 2026, the consequences of a scandal in Threads became known, where a man mocked Ukrainians who lost loved ones as a result of Russian shelling. According to users, he left offensive comments under a photo of the grave of the parents and brother of a Ukrainian girl, mocked those killed in Kamyshevaha, where people came for humanitarian aid and were killed by the Russian army, and published anti-Semitic statements.
After information about his behavior reached employers, the Israeli company Pillar and the American Archidata Services conducted an internal investigation. They discovered additional publications containing discriminatory and intolerant statements and announced the decision to immediately terminate all contractual relations with this person.
Author: Alexander Khmelnitsky
The story was told on November 6 in Facebook by Lana Eidelman. She published details of the conflict and an image of the companies’ statement. According to discussion participants, the appeal to the Israeli leadership was written in Hebrew.
The girl showed the family’s grave. In response, she received insults.
According to Eidelman, a Ukrainian girl posted a photo in Threads of the grave of her mother, father, and brother, who died from a Russian missile.
A man appeared in the comments who began to mock her loss. Other users found out that he left similar messages under publications about other people’s tragedies.
Screenshots began to spread. Users established a supposed connection between the commentator and the Israeli company, after which one of the discussion participants wrote to its management in Hebrew.
Eidelman provided a link to one of the posts in Threads. In the comments to her story, people thanked her for the publicity, but some doubted the authenticity of the story and demanded confirmations.
Eidelman herself suggested that the man is in Kyiv and collaborates with the employer as a contractor. There is no independent confirmation of his location.
Kamyshevaha: people came for bread and died under the rubble
Particular outrage was caused by mocking comments about those killed in Kamyshevaha, Zaporizhzhia region, where on November 2, 2026, Russian aviation attacked the ‘Dzherelo’ gymnasium and the underground shelter.
On that day, about a hundred residents came to the school complex for humanitarian aid, primarily free bread. During the shelling, people hid underground, but a heavy FAB-3000 aerial bomb hit directly into the shelter.
Why the school was used for food distribution, who was inside, and how the rescue of people was carried out, NANews detailed in the investigation ‘Kamyshevaha: people came for bread, and Russia dropped a three-ton bomb on them’.
The underground facility was designed for a thousand students in two shifts. However, by November, classes were no longer held. After the evacuation of children, a shelter, a population support center, and a food distribution point operated here.
The number of victims increased as the rubble was cleared. Initially, it was reported about 18 dead and 27 missing. Already on November 3, the number of dead reached 29, as NANews reported in a summary of Russian strikes on Ukraine.
By November 8, the bodies of 55 dead were extracted from the rubble, 29 people were identified, and another 45 were listed as missing. According to the National Police of Ukraine, published on November 9, the number of identified increased to 30. Another 19 people may remain under the rubble.
Russian drones continue to interfere with rescuers and threaten emergency service workers on site.
At the same time, it has not been established that the girl who told about the death of her parents and brother lost her family specifically in Kamyshevaha. These episodes cannot be presented as one confirmed story.
Whose name appeared in the scandal
In the spreading screenshots, the Threads account maksimlakhtadyr is featured, which users associate with Maksym Lakhtadyr.
Among the comments attributed to the account were mockeries of the deceased and people who came for free aid. One began with the words ‘Fool — it’s fate‘.
On November 5, the American organization StopAntisemitism also drew attention to anti-Semitic statements attributed to this account.
Screenshots of alleged apologies also appeared online. Their authenticity is not independently confirmed. The joint statement of the employers does not mention the person’s name.
What connects the Israeli Pillar and the American Archidata
Pillar is engaged in software development, AI solutions, and technical specialist recruitment. On its career site, it presents itself as an Israeli-Ukrainian company operating since 2015. Its Ukrainian office is located in Vinnytsia.
Archidata Services is an American company from New York, founded in 1988. It specializes in laser 3D scanning of buildings, architectural drawings, and digital models of structures. Its leader is Ron Bear.
The companies do indeed collaborate. On the Pillar job site, there is a recruitment of specialists for Archidata projects. Candidates are offered to work remotely or from Vinnytsia, and the technical interview is conducted with the head of the American company.
Thus, the Israeli Pillar participates in organizing the work of specialists for the American client.
What the employers discovered and what decision they made
In a joint statement published on social networks, Pillar and Archidata reported that the person collaborated with them on a contractual basis.
After receiving the information, the companies began an internal investigation. It revealed additional publications with discriminatory and intolerant statements based on nationality, as well as manifestations of disrespect for human dignity.
The result was the decision to immediately terminate any cooperation and contractual relations with this person.
The employers expressed condolences to Ukrainian families who lost loved ones as a result of Russian aggression, condemned discrimination, and apologized to the people affected by the publications.
Legally, this is not necessarily the dismissal of a full-time employee. It is about terminating contractual relations with a contractor.
Moreover, although Eidelman mentioned a letter to the girl, the visible text of the statement is addressed to all those affected by the offensive statements, not a specific family.
Who is Maksym Lakhtadyr and what is known about his professional activity
Before the scandal, the name Maksym Lakhtadyr was associated with engineering and architectural design.
In his professional LinkedIn profile, an 18-year experience as an engineer in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems design, as well as in the architectural field, was indicated.
According to the published resume, he studied at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture from 2000 to 2005. The history of professional activity included Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and the American Archidata Services. Among additional qualifications were Python training and passing the international IELTS exam.
After the scandal, the specialist’s LinkedIn page stopped opening upon direct check. However, its description remained in search results. Moreover, the name Maksym Lakhtadyr is still present in the (web archive) employee section on the official Archidata Services LinkedIn page.
The Threads account around which the discussion unfolded has the address @maksimlakhtadyr.
Why this story is especially important for Israel
On November 4, the Israeli Foreign Ministry officially condemned the Russian strike on Kamyshevaha. In a statement prepared based on then-current data about 40 dead, condolences were expressed to the families of the victims and wishes for the recovery of the wounded.
The tragedy also raised the issue of civilian safety. In the material ‘Underground schools of Ukraine after the tragedy in Kamyshevaha: what Israel can teach’, NANews discussed proposals by Ukrainian specialists to use Israeli experience when revising shelter requirements.
For Israeli readers, another side of the scandal is also understandable. After terrorist attacks and missile strikes in Israel, public mockery of the deceased and their relatives is perceived especially painfully.
At the same time, Israeli tech companies often work with international teams. Their specialists and contractors may be outside Israel, but public behavior can affect relationships with clients.
In this case, the companies did not limit themselves to condemning the comments. They conducted their own investigation and announced the termination of cooperation.
Participants in the Threads discussion argued whether it is permissible to deprive a person of work for statements made outside of working hours. Pillar and Archidata answered this question with their own decision.
Unconfirmed details of the initial conflict remain. But the corporate reaction is publicly recorded: the employers reported the investigation, condemned the discriminatory publications, and decided to terminate contractual relations.
For the families of the deceased, this changes nothing. In Kamyshevaha, people continue to be searched for and the identities of the victims are being established. However, the insults that began in social network comments did not remain without professional consequences this time.