Andrey Kozlov, a 27-year-old Russian-Israeli citizen, recently shared his harrowing experience of eight months in captivity under Hamas. Kozlov, who was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival when he was captured on October 7, described intense psychological abuse and physical mistreatment during his time as a hostage in Gaza.
On his very first day in captivity, Kozlov's captor made it clear what he intended to do. Using signs, the man pointed to himself – "I" – then tapped his watch – "tomorrow" – then pointed to Kozlov – "you" – mimed a camera click – "film" – and finally made a gun with his fingers, pulling the trigger – "kill."
Kozlov believed that day would be his last, but as the hours passed, his fear slowly subsided. Days later, he began to understand that his captors probably wouldn't kill him. Through gestures, they explained their plan to swap him: "You’re going to Israel, our people go to Gaza and the West Bank."
For the first three months, the sound of Israeli bombing was constant, Kozlov said. "We were afraid of every bomb that we heard. Every time, you started to hide in the corners of our room." His captors laughed, asking what they were so afraid of.
Kozlov told CNN that his captors would subject him to "creative" forms of punishment, including covering him with thick blankets in extreme heat and constantly threatening his life. He recounted being tied up with ropes for the first three days and then chained until mid-December.
The psychological warfare was relentless, according to Kozlov. Guards told him and other hostages that Israel wanted to kill them and was trying to rid itself of them. Despite his efforts not to believe these lies, Kozlov admitted that when Israeli soldiers finally rescued him, he initially thought they had come to kill him.
During his captivity, Kozlov was moved between several locations and held with two other hostages, Almog Meir Jan and Shlomi Ziv. He described varying conditions, with some places providing enough food and allowing for exercise, while others were more restrictive.
Guards watched over them wearing masks, holding Kalashnikovs and a “big knife.” A guard with a "split personality" was a particular source of stress for Kozlov. The guard would alternate between friendly behavior, such as offering to play cards, and threatening violence. Kozlov learned to gauge the guard's mood each morning to determine how to interact.
Dr. Itai Pessach, who treated Kozlov and the other rescued hostages, confirmed that they had endured "a harsh, harsh experience, with a lot of abuse, almost every day." He noted that the combination of psychological stress and malnutrition had significant health impacts on the captives.
Kozlov considers himself "lucky" compared to other hostages he glimpsed during his captivity, though he was reluctant to provide details about their condition. He urged Israeli officials to prioritize the return of the remaining hostages, stating, "We need to bring them home as soon as possible. I don't know how. But we need to do this immediately."
Despite recent optimism about a potential ceasefire-for-hostages deal, progress has stalled. Hamas has warned that Israeli actions in Gaza could jeopardize talks, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has outlined several "principles" they are unwilling to abandon, including the continuation of military operations in Gaza.
For Kozlov, the dates of his capture and rescue have become significant milestones. He now refers to October 7 as his second "birthday" and June 18 as his third. As negotiations continue, Kozlov hopes the remaining 120 hostages will soon be able to mark their own dates of freedom.
* CNN contributed to this article.