Russia and Ukraine conducted another exchange of prisoners in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached during the second round of peace negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.
According to the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, on Thursday another stage of exchange took place.
According to the president, the military personnel of the Armed Forces, the National Guard and the State Border Service managed to return to Ukraine. “Most of them have been in captivity since 2022,” Zelensky wrote in a telegram channel.
At the same time, the number of military personnel who returned to Ukraine on Thursday, June 26, is not reported.
Meanwhile, the coordination headquarters of Ukraine on the treatment of prisoners of war reported that a group of military personnel under the age of 25, as well as those who were injured and have health problems, returned to their homeland.
Russian side
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also confirmed the exchange of prisoners with Ukraine.
“In accordance with the Russian -Ukrainian agreements reached on the second of June in Istanbul, another group of Russian troops was returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In exchange, a group of prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was transferred in exchange, – follows from the message.
The department noted that Russian military personnel are located in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are provided with the necessary psychological and medical care.
“All Russian troops will be delivered to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
Meanwhile, the source told TASS that the exchange of prisoners was parity and work continues.
Earlier, on June 2, the second round of peace negotiations took place in Istanbul, which took place in the Palace of Chyragan. The parties reached an agreement on humanitarian issues, including the exchange of prisoners of war from among the wounded, seriously ill and persons under 25 years of age, as well as the transfer of more than 6 thousand bodies of the dead.
The first round of Istanbul peace negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine took place on May 16 in the residence of Dolmabakhche.