Thu Apr 17 10:12:02 UTC 2025: ## Putin Thanks Hamas for Releasing Russian Hostages
**Moscow, April 17, 2025** – Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly thanked Hamas for releasing three Russian citizens held hostage in the Gaza Strip following the October 2023 attacks on Israel. Putin welcomed Alexander Trufanov, his mother, and grandmother to the Kremlin on Wednesday night. Trufanov was held for approximately 500 days, while his mother and grandmother were released earlier. His fiancee was also held captive but was released in a prior exchange.
Putin attributed the release to Russia’s long-standing relations with the Palestinian people and specifically praised Hamas’s “humanitarian act.” The meeting included prominent Russian Jewish leaders. While the release of Trufanov was part of a February ceasefire deal, Putin reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to securing the release of any remaining hostages.
The October 2023 Hamas attack resulted in over 1,200 deaths and hundreds of hostages in Israel, triggering retaliatory attacks from Israel that have resulted in the deaths of over 50,000 Palestinians. The Trufanov family was among those taken hostage during the initial attack, with the family patriarch killed in the violence.
First Piper 