A 1988 Soviet school-bus hijacking led to an unprecedented extradition from Israel to the USSR despite no existing treaty between the two countries.
Key Facts
- Date
- 1 December 1988
- Hostages taken
- Approximately 30 pupils and 1 teacher
- Number of hijackers
- 5
- Aircraft provided
- Ilyushin Il-76
- Final destination
- Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Hijacker leader
- Pavel Yakshiyants
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Five armed criminals led by Pavel Yakshiyants seized a LAZ-697 bus carrying around thirty pupils and one teacher from school 42 in Ordzhonikidze, Soviet Union, demanding an aircraft to fly them out of the country. Soviet local authorities agreed to the demands in order to secure the release of the child hostages.
The hijackers were provided an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft and flown to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport. Upon arrival, they surrendered without resistance to Israeli troops and police. All hostages were released unharmed during or following the negotiation process.
Israel extradited the hijackers to the Soviet Union despite the absence of any extradition treaty, as diplomatic relations between the two countries remained severed at the time. Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin publicly criticized Soviet authorities for conceding to the hijackers' demands and providing the aircraft.