Moscow, Feb 15 (UNI) Moscow welcomes the release of Russian citizen Alexander Trufanov, who had been held hostage in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, and expresses its gratitude to the leadership of Palestinian movement Hamas for the decision to free him, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, dual Russian-Israeli citizen Trufanov and two other Israeli hostages were released after 500 days in captivity in the Gaza Strip. Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov welcomed the release of the hostages and said that the issue of releasing Trufanov was a priority for Russian diplomats.
"Moscow welcomes the release of Alexander Trufanov in Palestine and expresses its gratitude to the Hamas leadership for this decision," Peskov told reporters.