Here Stayed
Sasha Trufanov and Sapir Cohen. Sasha came from Russia to Kibbutz Nir Oz as a 3-year-old child with his parents, Lena and Vitaly Trufanov. He is an only child. He grew up on the kibbutz, loved to learn, and was a good student. He studied electrical engineering at Ben-Gurion University and works at Amazon. Sasha is now 29 years old and was abducted to Gaza when he was 27. He enjoys sports very much, likes working out at the gym, and loves skiing. Sapir and Sasha moved together to Ramat Gan in August 2023.
October 7th
On October 6, 2023, Sasha and Sapir came to the kibbutz to celebrate Simchat Torah with Sasha’s family. Both were abducted from a guest house near his parents’ house. They were abducted separately. Sapir and Lena, Sasha’s mother, met while in captivity in Gaza, but neither of them knew what had happened to Sasha.
What Happened Since
Lena and Sapir were released in the first hostage deal. Lena was released on November 28, 2023, and Sapir was released on November 30, 2023.
Sasha was released in the second hostage deal on February 15, 2025, after 498 days in captivity. He currently lives with Sapir, his mother, and his grandmother at Kfar Ha’Maccabiah. Several months after his return, Sasha proposed to Sapir, and today the two are engaged and planning their lives together.
On January 26, 2026, after 843 days of fighting for the return of all the hostages, the last hostage was brought back for burial.
