Ceasefire talks: Prisoner exchanges and abducted children

Much of the information presented by Russian media or government representatives is part of propaganda. Such reports are a facet of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.

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

During the negotiations, Russia handed the Ukrainian side a two-part memorandum, which includes various methods to achieve a ceasefire.

Kyiv provided a list of children abducted 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, the 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.

Russia and Ukraine plan to set up medical commissions to facilitate the regular exchange of severely wounded soldiers, according to his statement.

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

At the same time, he stated that the Russian Federation is moving forward, "therefore, there are increasing casualties among Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield".

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

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

The Russian Federation will consider each case found on the Ukrainian list of children who have lost contact with their parents, said the head of the Russian delegation.

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 stated that Russians abducted significantly more than 700,000 children from Ukraine. If they return, it's with trauma and an altered identity. — We have all legal grounds to consider Russia's actions a war crime, said Dmytro Lubinets, the Ombudsman for Children in Ukraine, at that time.

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 – emphasised 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 Zelensky 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 emphasised 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.