MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Russia is talking to Hamas representatives about getting the hostages they are keeping released, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov said.

"Naturally, we do have contacts with Hamas representatives, and, first of all, they are aimed at releasing hostages captured by Hamas militants on the first day of, let us call things by their proper names, the terror attack on civilians in Israel from the places they are being kept," he said in an interview with the Izvestia daily.

According to the Israeli military, as many as 203 people have been confirmed to be hostages of Hamas.

The Russian embassy to Israel told TASS earlier in the day that at least two Russian nationals are among the hostages.