TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ukraine and Russia have agreed to conduct the largest prisoner and war dead exchange since the conflict began in February 2022, officials from both sides confirmed following peace talks held in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Delegations met at the historic Ottoman-era Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, where officials confirmed that both countries will exchange prisoners of war along with the remains of 6,000 soldiers who died in combat.
“We agreed to exchange all-for-all seriously wounded and seriously sick prisoners of war. The second category is young soldiers who are from 18 to 25 years old – all-for-all,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated during a press conference.
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, echoed the confirmation.
Speaking at the same press conference in Istanbul, Medinsky said Moscow and Kyiv had agreed on the largest prisoner exchange in history, following an “all for all” principle that includes young soldiers and seriously wounded soldiers aged 18 to 25.
Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, stated that the exchange would include “at least 1,000” prisoners from each side, surpassing the 1,000-for-1,000 POW swap agreed upon during last month’s talks.
Medinsky also disclosed that Russia has suggested a two- to three-day ceasefire in specific frontline zones to facilitate the recovery of fallen soldiers’ bodies.
“We have proposed a specific ceasefire for two to three days in certain areas of the front line,” he said, adding that the pause is necessary to retrieve the bodies of soldiers killed in battle.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking from Vilnius, Lithuania, confirmed that “both sides exchanged documents through the Turkish side” and that Kyiv is preparing to release the next group of prisoners.
This meeting in Istanbul was the second direct dialogue in less than a month, following talks on May 16 that resulted in another major prisoner swap but did not secure a ceasefire.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Kyiv also submitted a list of children alleged to have been kidnapped by Russia, demanding their return.
However, Russia and Ukraine remain divided over a ceasefire.
“The Russian side continued to reject the motion of an unconditional ceasefire,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya told journalists after the talks.
While Russia has offered a limited pause in fighting, the Ukrainian delegation stated that Moscow presented a memorandum detailing the Kremlin’s demands for ending the hostilities.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told reporters that Kyiv would need a week to review the document and determine its response. Ukraine proposed continuing negotiations between June 20 and June 30.
After the talks, Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti published the memorandum, which sets conditions for a ceasefire, including Ukraine’s withdrawal of troops from four regions annexed by Russia in September 2022 but never fully occupied.
The memorandum also calls on Ukraine to halt its mobilization efforts and stop arms deliveries from Western countries—demands previously made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Furthermore, the document requires Ukraine to cease troop redeployments and forbid the presence of foreign military forces on its territory to end the conflict.
It also proposes that Ukraine end its state of military emergency and hold general elections.
Following these steps, the two countries could sign a comprehensive peace agreement that would require Ukraine to declare neutrality, abandon its NATO membership ambitions, limit the size of its armed forces, and recognize Russian as an official language alongside Ukrainian.
Ukraine and Western countries have previously rejected all of Moscow’s demands.
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