Russian President Putin greets freed hostages at Kremlin, thanks Hamas for their release

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with recently released Israeli hostage Sasha Troufanov at the Kremlin in Moscow on Wednesday evening. He also met with Sasha's mother, Elena Troufanova, and his partner, Sapir Cohen, both of whom were also previously held captive in Gaza by the terrorist group Hamas.

In a video clip from the meeting released by the state-funded RT television network, Putin addressed the ex-hostages, stating, “The fact that you managed to go free is the result of the fact that Russia has stable, long-term relations with the Palestinian people, with its representatives, and with a wide variety of organizations.”

He added, “We need to express words of gratitude to the leadership of the political wing of Hamas for cooperating with us and carrying out this humanitarian act.”

“We will do everything to ensure that such acts happen as often as possible and that all the people who are still in the same conditions that you had been in… are also released,” Putin added with a sigh, reacting to Troufanov’s captivity in Gaza for 498 days. Notably, Putin refrained from using the words "kidnapped" or "hostage" during his conversation with Troufanov.

Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen were kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, along with Sasha's mother, Elena, and his grandmother, Irena Tati. His father, Vitaly Troufanov, was killed during the Hamas-led attacks.

While congratulating the survivors on their release, Putin avoided using the word "murder" to describe the death of Sasha's father. Instead, he simply said, "Unfortunately, the father of the family is not present with you, but this is a tragedy that is probably not worth discussing right now."

The three women were released during a ceasefire in November 2023 – Troufanova and Tati reportedly freed as a gesture toward President Putin – while Sasha was returned from Gaza in February as part of a multi-phase ceasefire-hostage deal brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The deal eventually collapsed in March.

The Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar and President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia Alexander Boroda also attended the meeting at the Kremlin, according to Putin’s office, which published a video of the session alongside a readout with little information.

Russia maintains relationships with all major players in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority (PA), and Hamas.

In the days leading up to Sasha Troufanov’s release from captivity by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists in February, a Russian deputy foreign minister held talks in Moscow with a senior Hamas official.

During the meeting, Russia pressed the group to honor its “promises” to free Troufanov – a dual Russian-Israeli national – and Maxim Herkin, an Israeli hostage originally from Ukraine’s Donbas region, who has Russian family ties.

Earlier this month, Hamas released a propaganda video showing Herkin alongside fellow hostage Bar Kupershtein. The video marked the first confirmation that either of the two men was still alive since their abduction by terrorists during the Nova Music festival near Re’im.

Herkin, 35 years old at the time he was taken, has a three-year-old daughter and is the main source of support for his mother and 11-year-old brother. He had joined the Nova festival spontaneously after being invited by friends – it was his first time attending a music festival of that kind.

In February, a senior Hamas official stated that Herkin would be given priority during the second phase of the hostage deal, provided it was finalized, as a gesture to the Russian government. However, the deal between Israel and Hamas collapsed after the first phase, with Israel resuming military operations in Gaza last month.

As of now, 24 of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, including Herkin and Kupershtein, are believed to be alive.