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.

Syrian asylum seeker stabs passersby in Austria, killing teen, injuring four

A 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker stabbed several passersby in the centre of the Austrian town of Villach on Saturday, killing a 14-year old boy and injuring four other people, police say, adding that the suspected attacker had been arrested.

Further details, such as whether the attacker knew any of the victims, remain unclear, a spokesperson for the police in the southern state of Carinthia, Rainer Dionisio, says. The injured are aged between 14 and 32, he adds.

Such attacks are extremely rare in Austria. A jihadist killed four people in Vienna in a shooting rampage in 2020 that was the country’s deadliest assault in decades.

Villach is known for its carnival and is in an area that is a tourist hotspot in the summer as it includes one of Austria’s most famous lakes but otherwise attracts little attention.

“I have been in the (Carinthian police) press service for 20 years and cannot recall such an act,” Dionisio tells national broadcaster ORF.

A man whom Austrian media describes as a Syrian food delivery driver charged into the attacker with his car and prevented him from harming more people, Dionisio says.

The attack comes at a time of political upheaval in Austria as the far-right Freedom Party, which came first in September’s parliamentary election, said on Wednesday it had failed to form a coalition government. The president is now considering whether an alternative to a snap election is available.

Railing against illegal immigration and pledging to increase deportations to countries like Syria and Afghanistan, which it is currently illegal to deport people to, are central to the Freedom Party’s platform and appeal, and the party has quickly seized on the Villach attack.

“We need a rigorous crackdown on asylum and cannot continue to import conditions like those in Villach,” Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl says in a statement.

Israeli couple attacked in Athens, apparently after they were heard speaking Hebrew

An Israeli couple was attacked in Greece overnight, Hebrew media outlets report, apparently after the attacker overheard them speaking Hebrew.

The attack occurred shortly after midnight between Friday and Saturday, as the couple headed to their hotel from a restaurant on Ermou Street, in central Athens

The attack occurred shortly after midnight between Friday and Saturday, a local Greek media outlet reports. The couple were heading to their hotel from a restaurant on Ermou Street, in central Athens when the assailants attacked them in an alley.

One of the Israelis suffered light injuries to his leg and head, but neither of them required hospitalization, the reports add.

The attackers were heard speaking Arabic ahead of the incident, according to an eyewitness. One of them fled the scene after the attack and has yet to be apprehended, but the other has been charged with racist violence, the Greek media outlet adds.

In response to the reports, the Foreign Ministry says it is aware of the incident, and that it is being handled by the Foreign Ministry’s department for Israelis abroad in coordination with the Israeli Embassy in Athens.

The Foreign Ministry adds that the apprehended suspect is known to police for having previously participated in “pro-Palestinian demonstrations.”

“The two recognized the group of Israelis after noticing them speaking Hebrew and wearing a Star of David necklace,” it adds.