Russia and Ukraine will again exchange prisoners. This is the outcome of a brief meeting of delegations from both countries in Istanbul on Wednesday, according to Russian and Ukrainian media.
The delegations quickly agreed to an exchange. The talks in Istanbul lasted less than an hour, reports the Ukrainian news channel Suspilne.
Both countries will exchange 1,200 prisoners each. This includes both soldiers and civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that severely wounded soldiers are among them. Russia has held some as prisoners for three years, he says.
Furthermore, Russia has offered to return the bodies of fallen soldiers to Ukraine. This would involve 3,000 bodies, according to the Russian negotiator.
In addition to the exchange, possibilities for laying down arms were discussed again in Istanbul, reports news agency Reuters. Ukraine reiterated that it is ready for an immediate ceasefire.
Russia proposed a short combat pause of 24 to 48 hours, but this proposal was met with skepticism from the Ukrainians. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, such a short pause does not contribute to a “real” end to the war.
It was the third time in a period of several months that Ukraine and Russia negotiated in the Turkish metropolis. But a breakthrough to peace is not expected for the time being.