The sighting at an Israeli airport sparked questions about a well-known Russian couple
A photo circulating on a Telegram channel named VPS appeared to show Alla Pugacheva with her husband Maxim Galkin, who has faced designation as a foreign agent in Russia. The image, captured at an airport terminal in Israel, resembles the celebrity pair but cannot be identified with certainty due to low image quality and partial obstructions from people nearby.
As the image spread across online platforms, chatter suggested that the duo might have left Israel amid ongoing regional shelling. At that time, neither Pugacheva nor Galkin issued a public confirmation about their whereabouts or travel plans, leaving questions unanswered for followers and media alike.
Galkin later addressed the incident, recounting that his family woke to sirens around 6:30 a.m. Moscow time. He described the situation as a strenuous moment for Israel and extended sympathies to those affected and to the families who had lost loved ones. In a subsequent Instagram message, he conveyed concern for individuals currently held hostage, offered support for Israel, and expressed confidence that the country would endure through the crisis. This statement occurred amid broader tensions connected to social media activity, as the platform involved has been deemed extremist by certain authorities in Russia and faced a ban there. Audience response varied, with some critics accusing the performer of inconsistency and urging him to defend his homeland. At the time, comments on the post were disabled, and earlier remarks were hidden as part of moderation policies. The circulating screenshots were disseminated by the Telegram channel plinth, which contributed to the ongoing discourse surrounding the incident.
On October 7, a major escalation saw rockets directed at Israel as Hamas announced the launch of a campaign described as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, announced a state of emergency. This sequence of events added new layers to the discussion about international figures and their public stances during moments of conflict, prompting observers to reflect on how celebrities living outside their countries of origin navigate political and media scrutiny.
Earlier, another public profile had drawn attention to a separate figure, Sobchak, who publicly addressed rapper Morgenstern, who is likewise designated as a foreign agent in Russia. Sobchak’s remarks were framed as a pointed critique, illustrating how celebrities navigate a landscape where political and media pressures blur the lines between personal opinion and national allegiance. This context helps explain why audiences scrutinize public statements and actions when political sensitivities flare up across social networks and news cycles.