The presence of some of Russia's most-wanted fugitives in Israel is threatening to cloud the historic visit this week by President Vladimir Putin. Three billionaire oil executives, a publishing tycoon and a former Putin ally turned Kremlin critic have all taken up residence in Israel in recent years as Russia sought their arrests, rankling officials in Moscow. On the eve of Putin's arrival, the first to Israel by a Russian or Soviet leader, both governments played down any disagreements over the businessmen. However, Israeli officials said Putin may raise the matter, and noted that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon steadfastly opposes turning over any of the wanted men to Russia. "They are Israeli citizens and that's it," spokesman for Sharon Asaf Shariv said. Strained ties Israel and Russia have had close relations since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Both countries are involved in battles against Islamic terrorists, and they are linked by the hundreds of thousands of Russian immigrants now living in Israel. But ties have become strained recently as a result of Russia's planned sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria. Israeli officials dismissed speculation that the two countries might seek a deal in which Russia would scrap the missile sale in exchange for Israeli extradition of the fugitives. Adding to the tensions, Putin's visit coincides with the verdict in the Russian tax evasion and fraud trial of Jewish businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the onetime head of the Yukos oil giant. The three oil executives living in Israel, Leonid Nevzlin, Mikhail Brudno and Vladimir Dubov, are former partners of Khodorkovsky and all wanted by Russia on fraud charges. The three men, all of whom appeared on the Forbes list of the world's billionaires in 2004, are now directors of Group Menatep, a holding company that owns 60 percent of what remains of the dismantled Yukos empire. Menatep officials declined comment on the Putin visit, and a spokeswoman for Nevzlin, who also is wanted by Russia in an alleged murder plot, said he would have no comment until after Wednesday's verdict. Eligible for Israeli citizenship Also residing in Israel are media magnate Vladimir Gusinsky, recently questioned in Israel's largest bank scandal, who fled Russia after he was charged with financial misdeeds in a probe widely seen as punishment for his television station's critical coverage of Putin, and Boris Berezovsky, a one-time Kremlin insider who was charged with fraud after a falling-out with Putin. The five wanted businessmen, all Jewish, were eligible for citizenship under Israel's "Law of Return," which grants automatic citizenship to any Jew. However, turning over someone to Russia would be especially difficult for Sharon. For decades, the Soviet Union refused to let its Jewish citizens leave the country, most notably is Cabinet minister Natan Sharansky. "I do not intend to turn anyone over," Sharon told the Yediot Ahronot newspaper last week. "Since the days of my youth, I have been opposed to turning over Jews. I am saying this in the clearest manner possible."