On Sunday, the head of the so-called “Caucasian mafia” in Israel, Yanis Yusyaev, was shot dead.

Video footage documenting his execution captures the moment the assailant approaches him from behind and shoots him in the head from extremely close range.

The murder took place last Sunday outside a gas station in Caesarea. The video shows Yusyaev leaving a restaurant located on the premises of the gas station with two other men and walking down the stairs. The assailant is on the opposite side. Wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, black cargo trousers and a white baseball cap, with his hands in his pockets, he approaches Yusyaev from behind and shoots him in the head at almost point-blank range.

Yusyaev fell to the ground bleeding heavily and was taken to hospital in critical condition, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Manhunt for the assailant

Large police forces rushed to the scene, cordoning off the area and collecting evidence as part of the investigation into the murder.

A helicopter was also used in the search for the assailant, but the identity of the suspect has not yet been established.

Authorities are examining Yusyaev’s background and his connections within organized crime, seeking to determine the motive for the execution and the individuals who may be behind it.

His connections to organized crime

According to police sources and people familiar with organized crime activity in the Hadera and Or Akiva areas, over the years Yusyaev had developed an extensive network of contacts with well-known figures in the local underworld.

Among them were Patrick Krasnopolsky, described as his close associate and “right-hand man,” as well as Osher Shmilov.

Yusyaev and Krasnopolsky were arrested in June 2025 on suspicion of involvement in shootings and grenade attacks against businesses in Or Akiva. Both were subsequently released without charges being brought against them.

In March 2026, Krasnopolsky and Shmilov were arrested on suspicion of attempting to assassinate a rival in organized crime.

The alliance police were investigating

According to police assessments, Yusyaev was also believed to have maintained a significant alliance with Eli and Matan Arbiv, who are considered to have controlled organized-crime activities in the wider Hadera area.

Israeli authorities believe these individuals operated as a single criminal group active in Hadera, Or Akiva, Caesarea and parts of the Sharon region.

The investigation into the murder is ongoing, with authorities seeking to determine whether the execution is connected to activities and rivalries within organized crime.