Putin meets Russian-Israeli hostage released by Hamas

Russian President Vladimir Putin met a Russian-Israeli man freed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas after more than a year in captivity and promised to help free other hostages.

The Kremlin leader thanked Hamas for releasing the man and said it was the result of Russia's strong relations with the Palestinian people.

"Thank God you are alive and well and you are here," Putin told Alexander Trufanov, 29, late Wednesday. Trufanov said he had been held prisoner for 498 days.

Trufanov, identified by Israel as Sasha Trupanov was released in February.

His partner, grandmother and mother Yelena were also captured and released in the war's first truce in November 2023, but his father, Vitali Trupanov, died in the October 7 attack.

The Trupanov family immigrated to Israel from Russia in the late 1990s.

The family's surname is rendered differently in Hebrew and Russian, where it is spelt Trufanov.

Trufanov asked Putin to help secure the release of other hostages still in captivity, calling them "brothers."

"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 in the televised meeting.

"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."

"We will be working on this, definitely," Putin replied.

The president told Trufanov that his release was "the result of the fact that Russia has stable, many-year relations with the Palestinian people".

"I think 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," Putin said.

Trufanov was released on February 15, days after a Russian deputy foreign minister urged Hamas to keep "promises" to free him.

Russia has also called for the release of Maxim Herkin, a 35-year-old Russian-Israeli citizen abducted at a music festival.

Herkin was shown alive in a video released by Hamas in April.