MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. The Hamas movement has issued a statement saying that two female hostages with Russian citizenship have been released and handed over to the Red Cross.

"In response to the efforts of Russian President [Vladimir Putin], the Islamic resistance movement Hamas released on Wednesday two female hostages with Russian citizenship, they were handed over to the Red Cross as a first step to transfer them to representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry," the movement said in a statement published on its Telegram channel.

On Wednesday, Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk said that the movement planned to release several Russians as a sign of gratitude to Putin.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov met with the family of Russian Ron Krivoy, who was released from Gaza. The relatives of the man thanked the Russian Foreign Ministry for its assistance. In late October, Bogdanov told TASS that Hamas representatives had promised to respond to Moscow's demand for the release of eight Russian hostages.