Russia, Ukraine Move Forward on Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
The Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that it has received a list of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) slated for release as part of a planned 1,000-for-1,000 exchange with Ukraine, as per Al Jazeera.
The swap, agreed during talks last week in Istanbul, would be the largest since fighting began in 2022.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency that Moscow received Kyiv’s roster after providing its own. Describing the effort as “quite laborious,” he said work is proceeding “at a quick pace” and that both sides hope to complete the exchange soon.
Ukrainian officials have called the handover of POW lists a significant step toward the swap. Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv’s priority remains “the return of all our people.”
The Istanbul meeting marked the first face-to-face negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations since 2022. While broader cease-fire proposals were not adopted, representatives agreed to accelerate prisoner-exchange efforts.
No date has been announced for the handover, and both governments continue to coordinate logistical details through military and diplomatic channels.
Separately, the Kremlin said there is “no concrete agreement” yet on any follow-up peace talks, including reports of possible meetings at the Vatican.
