Moscow says another prisoner exchange agreed with Kiev

Russia and Ukraine have agreed on another prisoner exchange during their negotiations in Turkey, with each side to hand over 1,200 prisoners, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told journalists in Istanbul after the talks on Wednesday evening.

Medinsky stated that severely injured individuals are also to be exchanged along the front.

Ukraine confirmed the planned continuation of the exchanges but did not specify any concrete numbers.

Medinsky said that Russia has also offered the return of 3,000 more Ukrainian fallen soldiers. According to him, Moscow has already handed over some 7,000 bodies.

The Russian presidential adviser and former culture minister praised the implementation of the previous agreements, saying, “All agreements from the last time were adhered to.”

The last agreed exchange of 250 people each is currently taking place at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.

Nearly three and a half years after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, representatives of both countries resumed their recently stalled direct talks in Istanbul.

Television footage showed delegations from both sides gathered at the Çırağan Palace on the Bosporus.

The talks, scheduled for 7 pm (1600 GMT), began with a delay of nearly an hour and a half. Prior to this, the two chief negotiators had met for a brief one-on-one discussion. The meeting in the larger group lasted only 40 minutes.