Russia and Ukraine agree to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each – largest since 2022

Russia and Ukraine on Friday have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, their largest such swap since the war began in 2022. The announcement came after the first direct peace talks between the two countries in months, held in Istanbul. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, said both sides also agreed to present detailed proposals for a ceasefire.

The talks, hosted by Turkey, lasted less than two hours. Ukrainian officials expressed frustration, accusing Russia of introducing new demands that would require Ukrainian troops to withdraw from large parts of their territory. These demands, they said, were not previously discussed and undermined efforts to reach a ceasefire.

Ukraine also requested a meeting between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Russia said it would consider the request but sent only a low-level delegation to Istanbul, which Kyiv saw as a lack of seriousness.

The US, France, Germany, and the UK had coordinated closely with Ukraine ahead of the talks. US president Donald Trump, who has urged both sides to end the war, said he was open to meeting Putin soon. Kremlin officials hinted such talks could happen but stressed that preparations would take time.

Meanwhile, fighting has not let up. On Friday, a drone strike in Kupiansk, Ukraine, killed a 55-year-old woman and injured four men.