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Sasha Trufanov in a video published by Islamic Jihad
The Russian diplomat clarified that Trufanov, who is on the list of 33 hostages to be released at the first stage of the exchange deal, could gain freedom within the next three to four weeks.
“Simple mathematics says that, unfortunately, we are not talking about the next few days, but in 3-4 weeks, judging by the schedule, he will be released,” the ambassador explained. And he added that Moscow has information that Sasha was wounded in Gaza.
“Alexander Trufanov is the son of Russian citizen Elena Trufanova, who, thanks to the great efforts made by Russian diplomats and military officials, and the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she herself, Elena Trufanova, was released last year in November (referring to the year 2023, when the first exchange transaction was carried out)… There is information that he was wounded, his state of health is not entirely satisfactory… satisfactory, but not positive,” Viktorov said on Rossiya-24.
The ambassador emphasized that “Trufanova has been waiting for more than a year for her son to return from Gaza,” and expressed hope that he will not get worse in the remaining few days. How these words are consistent with Hamas’s promises to return the hostage “safe and sound” is not specified.
A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered increased efforts to free another hostage with Russian citizenship, 36-year-old Maxim Kharkin from Tirat Carmel, who was included in the list of 33.
In this regard, it was recalled that a senior Hamas representative, Musa Abu Marzouk, during a visit to Moscow on October 23, 2024, said that Maxim Kharkin is Ukrainian.
“At the moment when he was captured, he was not a citizen of Russia. His family came to Russia and obtained citizenship for him, so that Russia would help them free him. But he is not a civilian, he is a military man, he served in the army Israel,” a Hamas spokesman said.
At the same time, Marzuk promised “to release two hostages with Russian citizenship as a matter of priority” – however, only if an exchange deal is signed with Israel.
Terrorists kidnapped Sasha (Alexander) Trufanov in Kibbutz Nir-Oz on October 7, 2023, along with his mother Elena, grandmother Irina and friend Sapir Cohen of Kibbutz Nir-Oz. Three women were released during the first exchange deal – in November 2023, after 54 and 55 days of captivity. Vitaly Trufanov, Sasha’s father, was killed by Hamas militants.
