Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Alexander Trufanov, a Russian-Israeli man who was freed after spending more than a year in captivity by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The meeting, which took place late Wednesday, saw Putin express his gratitude to Hamas for the release, citing Russia’s longstanding ties with the Palestinian people as a factor in securing the freedom of the 29-year-old.
In the emotional meeting, Putin warmly welcomed Trufanov, saying, “Thank God you are alive and well and you are here.” Trufanov, who had been held for 498 days, shared his ordeal and the emotional toll it took on him. His release came in February 2024, after a prolonged period of captivity during which he was held by Hamas. Trufanov’s family, originally from Russia, had also faced trauma. His partner, grandmother, and mother, Yelena, were all captured but released during the first ceasefire in November 2023. Tragically, his father, Vitali Trufanov, was killed during the October 7 attack by Hamas.
The Trufanov family had immigrated to Israel from Russia in the late 1990s. While the family name is spelled Trufanov in Russian, it is rendered as Trupanov in Hebrew. During the televised meeting, Trufanov expressed his deep concern for those still held captive by Hamas, referring to them as “brothers.” He asked President Putin to continue his efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
“For me, when they are there, it’s as if half my heart is still there in Gaza. It will be very hard for me to return to my ordinary life while they are there,” Trufanov said, requesting Putin’s assistance in securing their freedom. “Mr. Putin, I really ask you to continue what you did for me and before (with other prisoners)… so that they can also be free and happy like I am now.”
Putin assured Trufanov that Russia would continue to work towards freeing the remaining hostages. “We will be working on this, definitely,” Putin responded.
Putin also emphasized that Trufanov’s release was a direct result of Russia’s longstanding and stable relations with the Palestinian people. He further thanked the leadership of Hamas for fulfilling the request to release Trufanov, calling the act a humanitarian gesture. “It’s necessary to express words of gratitude to the leadership, to the political wing of Hamas that they acted on our request and committed this action, a humanitarian act, and released you,” said the Russian president.
Trufanov was freed on February 15, following persistent diplomatic efforts by Russia, which included a plea from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister urging Hamas to honor its promise to release him. In addition to Trufanov, Russia has also called for the release of Maxim Herkin, a 35-year-old Russian-Israeli man who was abducted at a music festival. Herkin was later shown alive in a video released by Hamas in April 2024.
