Adversary IC — 2026-10-25

Investigation Links Fake Israeli Think Tank to Suspected Russian Spy and Presidential Administration Intelligence Directorate

BLUFRussia's use of a registered Israeli entity with paid local journalists and legislative access marks an escalation from digital influence to embedded human infrastructure that Israeli counterintelligence will struggle to uproot quietly.

Shomrim, VSquare and Delfi Estonia reported that the International Burke Institute, registered in Israel in July 2025, was founded by Haifa resident Igor Kaminnyk and Gabriel Mart, formerly Innokentiy Martynov 12. Both outlets tie Kaminnyk to Alexey Martynov, who is named in a 2022 Estonian court ruling; VSquare says the indictment describes him as acting on instructions from a Russian presidential administration directorate 12. Leaked Social Design Agency chats show a December 2024 proposal for an Israeli think tank budgeted at about $80,000 for six months, including Haifa office rent 2. Journalist Rachel Avraham told Shomrim she was paid for her institute work, then denied it 12. The Insider separately documented SDA operations in Israel since 2023 3.

Analysis
The International Burke Institute was a Russian influence vehicle with human infrastructure inside Israel, not merely a network of fake accounts. Its founders' link to Alexey Martynov, tied by an Estonian court ruling to a Russian presidential administration directorate, and a Haifa office and budget matching leaked Social Design Agency plans support this. A journalist's admission of payment, quickly retracted, suggests the operation reached genuine Israeli media and a Knesset lobby, which exposes outlets to paid placement they struggle to detect. Confidence is high because two independent investigations and leaked documents converge on the same individuals, though the payment claim rests on one retracted phone statement. A small, opportunistic local venture seeking Russian funding, with the Martynov link coincidental, may instead explain the operation. The founders' resignations suggest the brand may be abandoned or rebuilt under new names, and Israeli security services have not commented publicly.

3 sources