Putin tells family of hostages to thank Hamas for “humanitarian act” of release, says father’s murder “shouldn’t be discussed now”

Vladimir Putin met on Wednesday evening at the Kremlin with three former hostages of Hamas: Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen, Trufanov’s mother Yelena, and his fiancée Sapir Cohen.

At the meeting, Putin publicly thanked the Hamas leadership for what he described as a “humanitarian act” of their release, according to a statement released by the Kremlin. Trufanov’s father, Vitaly Trufanov, was killed by Hamas militants during their surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Unfortunately, your father is not here to join you, which is a tragedy that, perhaps, we shouldn’t discuss right now... I will not share any political assessments or perspectives regarding the ongoing developments. That said, everything that happened to you was a great tragedy, while the fact that you can now walk free is a result of Russia’s years-long commitment to maintaining stable relations with the people of Palestine, its representatives and all kinds of structures and organisations.

I think we should express our gratitude to Hamas leaders and its political wing for accommodating our request and making this gesture. Setting you free was a humanitarian act on their part. I wanted to congratulate you on this occasion,” Putin said.

Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, Alexander Boroda, were also present at the meeting in the Kremlin.

Sasha Trufanov and Sapir Cohen were abducted by Palestinian militants from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, along with Sasha’s mother, Elena Trufanova, and grandmother, Irena Tati. Sasha’s father and Elena’s husband, Vitaly Trufanov, was killed during the Hamas-led attack.

The three women were released during a ceasefire in November 2023, with Trufanova and Tati reportedly freed as a Hamas gesture of goodwill toward President Vladimir Putin. Sasha Trufanov was returned from Gaza in February 2025 as part of a multi-phase truce deal brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt (that deal collapsed in March, after Trufanov’s release). Trufanov spent 498 days in captivity.