Russia and Ukraine agree on prisoner exchange amid talks

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The second round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has concluded in Istanbul. The talks lasted for an hour.

During the negotiations, Russia presented the Ukrainian side with a two-part memorandum that included various methods to achieve a ceasefire.

Kyiv provided a list of children taken to Russia. An agreement was reached during the negotiations regarding the exchange of prisoners.

The Russian side announced after the talks that Moscow will return to Ukraine 6,000 frozen bodies of soldiers, which will be handed over to Kyiv next week.

The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, a former Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, stated during the meeting that Russia and Ukraine will exchange seriously ill and wounded prisoners in an "all-for-all" format.

He stated that Russia and Ukraine plan to establish medical commissions to enable the regular exchange of severely wounded soldiers.

According to Medinsky, Russia proposed a ceasefire to Ukraine for 2–3 days in certain areas of the front. The truce should allow for the removal of the deceased bodies, he added.

At the same time, he stated that the Russian Federation is advancing, "leading to more casualties among Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield".

During the meeting, Ukraine provided Russia with a list of Ukrainian children who are in occupied areas. Kyiv expects their return.

Medinsky showed journalists a list with the names of 339 children provided by Ukraine.

According to the head of the Russian delegation, the Russian Federation will review every case listed by Ukraine involving children who have been separated from their parents.

He shamelessly stated that Kyiv has turned the issue of child abductions into a "show for sensitive Europeans". Russia does not kidnap a single child, only children rescued by Russian soldiers. The Russian Federation returns children to Ukraine if their parents or legal guardians are found, he stated.

In March 2025, Kyiv reported that over 700,000 children had been forcibly taken from Ukraine by Russian forces. Those who return often do so with psychological trauma and changed identities. At the time, Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Children, Dmytro Lubinets, emphasized that there are solid legal grounds to classify Russia’s actions as a war crime.

During a Monday press conference in Istanbul, Ukraine's Defence Minister and head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, announced significant agreements made during the negotiations with Russia. The most important of these is the agreement on the exchange of prisoners and the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers. The parties agreed to the principle of "all-for-all" regarding the injured, seriously ill, and young soldiers under 25 years old. Additionally, it was decided that Ukraine and Russia would reciprocally return 6,000 fallen bodies from each side.

– We agreed on exchanges. We insist on the release of all prisoners of war and civilian hostages, emphasized Umerov. He added that although the numbers were not precisely defined, categories of persons to be included in the exchange were agreed upon.

The Minister also noted that further negotiations with Russia only make sense if they aim for a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin.

The Ukrainian side proposed that such a summit take place between June 20 and 30. According to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, the proposal was presented in Istanbul as part of efforts to end the conflict and restore a just peace.

Umerov emphasized that Ukraine is counting on concrete results, not symbolic gestures. He stressed that dialogue must lead to real actions, such as releasing prisoners, returning children, and providing an honourable burial for the fallen.