Ukraine and Russia carried out another prisoner-of-war exchange on Thursday, June 12th—the third one this week—based on a deal made during peace talks in Istanbul.
Last week, negotiators in Turkey reached a limited agreement for both sides to release over 1,000 prisoners of war, focusing on those who are wounded or under 25 years old. The deal also included returning the bodies of fallen soldiers.
“Today, warriors of our Armed Forces, National Guard, and Border Guard Service are back home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media. He added, “They all require medical treatment,” as they were “severely wounded and seriously ill.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the exchange on Telegram, saying that “a group of Russian servicemen was returned” from Ukrainian captivity.
“We continue working to bring everyone home from Russian captivity. We thank everyone who helps make these exchanges possible,” President Zelensky said, reaffirming his commitment.
Although progress in broader peace efforts remains stalled, these prisoner exchanges are so far the only real result from the recent talks in Istanbul.
