Ukraine and Russia complete second prisoner exchange in Istanbul deal
A second group of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war were returned home on Tuesday as part of a deal made during direct talks in Istanbul on 2 June.
The exchange began on Monday for soldiers aged between 18-25, focusing on seriously wounded and sick Ukrainian service personnel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram, without specifying the exact number.
Among them were soldiers captured over three years ago in the battle for Mariupol, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Telegram.
All of those freed had severe injuries and illnesses, including amputated limbs and vision problems, it said.
Amina Ivanchenko was reunited Monday with her husband, a POW for 18 months, in the initial release. She said was grateful to Ukrainian officials for supporting her.
"My struggle was much easier thanks to them. Our country will definitely return everyone. Glory to Ukraine! Thank you!"
Anastasia Nahorna waited in the Chernyhiv region to see if her husband, who has been missing for eight months, was among those being released in the latest swap.
"This pain is more unbearable every day," she said. "I really want to hear some news, because since the moment of his disappearance, unfortunately, there has been no information. Is he alive? or maybe in captivity? Has someone seen him?"
Russia's Defence Ministry said it had also received a second group of released soldiers as part of the deal.
The Russian servicemen arrived on the territory of Belarus, where they are receiving psychological and medical assistance, the ministry said in a statement, without specifying the number of exchanged soldiers.
All servicemen will be transported to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation, the statement added.
A similar exchange was announced for the bodies of fallen soldiers held by both sides, although no schedule has been released.
Two recent rounds of direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have yielded no significant breakthroughs beyond pledges to swap prisoners as well as thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday condemned what he described as Russian "terror against the civilian population" of Ukraine and urged the European Union to swiftly impose new sanctions on Moscow.
Speaking alongside the Netherlands' caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof in Berlin, Merz accused Russia of deliberately targeting non-military sites in its latest waves of strikes.
The two met to discuss topics related to bilateral and European cooperation as well as international politics.
Merz described recent attacks on Ukrainian residential areas as "the most serious war crimes" which were "anything but a proportionate response to the very precise Ukrainian attacks on military airfields and infrastructure in the last week."
Moscow is escalating the situation and attempting "to create a bloodbath" instead of negotiating with Ukraine, Merz said, who added that a larger tragedy had been averted due to Ukraine's air defence.
Schoof echoed Merz's concerns and said Ukraine was defending not only its own sovereignty "but also the security of Europe...after a war of aggression that was started by Russia."
The comments from the Dutch and German leaders come just days ahead of a G7 summit in Canada and a NATO meeting later this month.
There, Ukraine's Western allies are expected to urge US President Donald Trump to take a firmer stance against the Kremlin.
Merz and Schoof also extended their condolences to the victims of a shooting at a school in Graz, Austria.
Merz said he was "deeply shocked by this news that young people have been so suddenly torn from life."
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