Ukraine and Russia have reached a significant agreement to exchange hundreds of prisoners of war, including all seriously wounded personnel and captured soldiers aged 18 to 25. Both sides have agreed to a one-for-one exchange, with estimates of at least 1,000 individuals per country.
The deal also includes the repatriation of approximately 6,000 bodies of fallen soldiers. Russia has pledged to return the remains of Ukrainian troops unilaterally, though Moscow has not disclosed its own military death toll.
Despite this humanitarian breakthrough, ceasefire negotiations in Istanbul showed little progress. Ukraine pressed for an unconditional truce, which Russia rejected. Instead, Moscow proposed a short, localized ceasefire—lasting two to three days—for recovering the dead.
The talks, held at Istanbul’s historic Ciragan Palace, were attended by Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. President Erdogan later suggested hosting a high-level peace summit involving Presidents Putin, Zelensky, and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine confirmed receipt of a Russian peace proposal document but reiterated it would reject any deal perceived as legitimizing Russia’s invasion or conceding territory. President Zelensky emphasized that any peace deal must preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and future NATO aspirations.
Meanwhile, the war rages on. Ukraine recently claimed a successful drone strike campaign inside Russian territory, damaging several military bombers and reportedly causing up to \$7 billion in losses. Despite such efforts, Russian forces continue to gain ground on multiple fronts.
The conflict, now in its third year, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and millions displaced across Europe—marking the continent’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.
