The involvement of the Russian president saved the life of Maxim Kharkin, his mother has told TASS

The efforts of Russian diplomats and President Vladimir Putin personally helped save the life of Israeli hostage Maxim Kharkin, his mother Natalia has told TASS. Kharkin was among 20 living Israeli hostages that were released by Hamas on Monday in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Natalia, a resident of Donetsk, said that she wants to go to Moscow to personally thank the Russian president for the role he played in saving her son.

"We want to come and we want to see Vladimir Putin very much. To thank him for everything he has done because it helped Maxim survive," she told TASS. The woman also praised the work of the Russian consulate in Israel that provided extensive assistance to Kharkin's family.

While no such meeting has been planned so far, Moscow still "shares the common joy that Kharkin is free," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

Maxim, 37, was born in the city of Donetsk before moving to Israel at the age of 17. His mother Natalia is a Russian national. He was abducted during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, while attending the Nova Music Festival, an all-night event held near the Gaza border.

His family then sought Russian citizenship for him in a bid to secure Moscow's assistance in his release. Russian diplomats raised the issue of his release with Hamas, including during a March meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and the militant group's senior officials in Qatar. The former hostage now plans to get a Russian passport, according to his mother.

Russian diplomats previously helped secure the release of dual Russian-Israeli citizen Aleksander Trufanov.

In January, Putin tasked the Foreign Ministry and other relevant government agencies "to do everything" to make that happen. The next day, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov revealed that Hamas had assured Moscow of Trufanov's imminent release.

Russia has kept ties with Hamas and other regional actors, positioning itself as a mediator. Moscow maintains that a two-state solution is the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

(RT.com)