An Oscar statuette awarded to Russian-born filmmaker Pavel Talankin went missing after a dispute at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials deemed the trophy a potential weapon and required it to be checked. Talankin, whose documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin won best feature documentary at the 2026 Academy Awards, had previously flown with the award over a dozen times without issue. The incident occurred as he traveled from New York to Germany on Lufthansa.

After landing in Frankfurt, Talankin discovered the box containing the Oscar was missing. Lufthansa later confirmed the statuette had been located and was in their possession, with plans to return it directly to him. The airline apologized and launched an internal review of the handling process. Co-director David Borenstein described the scene at the checkpoint as chaotic, with staff using a flimsy box and bubble wrap to package the award.

Language barriers and concerns about bias emerged during the incident. Talankin, who does not speak fluent English, relied on executive producer Robin Hessman to argue with TSA officials over speakerphone. She claimed the agent was intractable, remarking, 'This wouldn't have happened to Leonardo DiCaprio.' The case has sparked broader discussion about how cultural symbols and awards are treated in airport security protocols, especially for non-Hollywood figures and political exiles.