Hydrogenation of benzonitrile into benzylannine is catalyzed under very mild conditions by the ruthenium bis(dihydrogen) complex RuH2(H-2)(2)(PCyp(3))(2), incorporating two tricyclopentylphosphines. Two key intermediates have been isolated, resulting from the activation of benzonitrile at early stages of activation, i.e., either N-coordination through the nitrite function or first hydrogenation with benzylimine formation, followed by, thanks to C-H activation, coordination at ruthenium as an orthometalated ligand.