Russian ambassador meets with freed hostage Sasha Troufanov, gives him new passport

Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov met with freed hostage Sasha Troufanov in Israel yesterday, just hours after Troufanov’s release from Hamas captivity.

The meeting took place at Sheba Medical Center in central Israel, where Troufanov was taken after an initial checkup in an army facility near the Gaza border.

“Anatoly Viktorov sincerely welcomed the release of our compatriot,” reads a statement from the Russian embassy.

It emphasizes that “Russian diplomats did not stop their efforts to free Alexander [Sasha] Troufanov for a single day. They were in constant contact with the Israeli and all interested parties in the region on this priority issue.”

The embassy stresses that the diplomatic endeavors were carried out “on the instruction of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin.”

During the meeting, in which Sasha’s mother Elena Troufanov was also present, Viktorov presented him with a new Russian passport, that “he, for obvious reasons, was unable to receive on time.”

????️ On February 15, Ambassador of Russia Anatoly Viktorov met with Russian & Israeli citizen Alexander Trufanov, who was released from the Gaza Strip that day.

His mother Elena Trufanova, who was also released in November 2023 with active Russian assistance, took part in the… pic.twitter.com/NTPATZWxSU

— Russia in Israel (@israel_mid_ru) February 15, 2025

Russian diplomats have engaged in talks with Hamas officials for the release of its citizens, and warned the terror group earlier this month to keep its “promises” to release Troufanov, as well as hostage Maxim Herkin, an Israeli man from the Donbas area of Ukraine who has Russian relatives.