Russian President Vladimir Putin met with freed hostage Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov at the Kremlin on Wednesday.
Troufanov, who was abducted on October 7 and held hostage by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, met with the longtime Russian president along with his mother Elena and fiancée Sapir Cohen, according to a statement by the Kremlin.
During the meeting, Putin expressed shock upon learning that Troufanov had spent 498 days in captivity in Gaza. He said Russia would continue working to secure the release of the hostages still held by Hamas, but urged Troufanov to “thank Hamas” for his release.
“Your release is a result of Russia's long-standing ties with Palestinians, their representatives, and various organizations. We should thank Hamas leadership for this humanitarian act of freeing you,” Putin told Troufanov and those accompanying him, congratulating him for his release. Putin added that his team would work to “ensure such acts happen more frequently,” referring to the release of hostages. “We hope all others in similar conditions will also be freed soon,” he said.
Upon his release in February 2025, Putin praised Hamas’s “goodwill” in the release of a Russian-Israeli citizen from captivity in Gaza, and emphasized Moscow’s role in Middle East diplomacy during a meeting with Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar.
Following his release, Putin said that Troufanov’s release was made possible due to “the consistent policy of the Russian Federation in the Middle East, which has earned the trust of many partners in the region” and “thanks, of course, to the goodwill of the Hamas leadership.”
The dramatic statement, suggesting Hamas’s cooperation, came as Moscow continues to position itself as a mediator in the Israel-Gaza conflict while maintaining relations with the terror group.
Though at least 16 russian citizens were murdered in Hamas’ deadly assault on Israel on October 7, excluding those abducted and killed in captivity, Moscow did not condemn the terror group, but rather blamed US policies for the current events of the Middle East, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Putin compared Israel’s Gaza action to Nazi Germany’s siege of Leningrad, before using this context to offer himself as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians in late 2023.
Russian media reported that Hamas has praised Putin’s position on the war, shining a light on the country’s time-honored and well-documented relationship with the terror group.
Russia has also never designated Hamas as a terror organization, though the Kremlin has labeled many of its political opponents as such.
How was Troufanov kidnapped on October 7?
Troufanov had been living in Tel Aviv with Cohen. On October 7, the couple traveled to visit his family in Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border. They were abducted along with several members of Troufanov’s family during the Hamas-led massacre that left over 1,200 people dead.
Following the hostage deal in November 2023, Troufanov remained in captivity while his mother, fiancée, and grandmother were released. Cohen, 29, Elena Troufanov, 50, and Irina Tati, 73, were freed after 54 days in captivity during the sixth round of releases. Their release was described as a gesture to Putin, due to their dual Russian-Israeli citizenship.
Troufanov’s father, Vitaly, was murdered by Hamas terrorists during the attack on October 7.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.