TEL AVIV, November 30./TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov and Vladimir Gerasimenko, the military attache at the embassy, met with two female compatriots, both dual Russian and Israeli citizens, who were released from Gaza on Wednesday, the embassy’s press service said.

The ambassador wholeheartedly welcomed the release of Irina Tatti and Yelena Trufanova, the embassy said. "He expressed deep condolences to Yelena in connection with the death of her husband, also a Russian national, in a terrorist attack in southern Israel on October 7.

"He emphasized that their return was a direct result of consistent work carried out by the leadership of the Russian foreign and defense ministries, as well as diplomats of Russian embassies in close coordination with all interested parties in the region," the press service said. The ambassador also noted that these moves were made at the behest of President Vladimir Putin, it added.

The Russian envoy said that Russia will continue to do everything it can to free its countrymen held in the Gaza Strip.

In turn, Tatti and Trufanova expressed deep gratitude to the Russian leadership and all those who helped rescue them. They noted that they had always been proud of their Russian heritage, and also asked for assistance in bringing their loved ones still in Gaza home, the embassy said.

The ambassador, for his part, "assured the compatriots that Russia will make every diplomatic effort to release all Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip."