Ukraine, Russia carry out another exchange of POWs under Istanbul deal
The prisoners of war (POWs) were released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia agreed upon during recent peace talks in Istanbul, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the POWs said.
Some of the POWs had been held by Russia for more than three years, according to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters. Many of the released defenders had been classified as missing in action.
"This is part of a major exchange that continues in phases," the headquarters said in a statement. "These soldiers require urgent medical care and will receive full assistance, including psychological rehabilitation and financial compensation for their time in captivity."
Troops from multiple Ukrainian military branches were freed in the exchange, including the Armed Forces, Air Assault Forces, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service. Many had served in combat operations across Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
June 12 release follows a similar exchange on June 10, which concluded the second stage of the Istanbul agreement. That phase also prioritized injured personnel.
The previous swap focused on personnel with severe injuries and illnesses, including amputations, vision loss, shrapnel wounds, and chronic conditions like hepatitis and tuberculosis. Among the returnees are defenders of Mariupol, captured during the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Istanbul deal was reached during a second round of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations on June 2. While no political breakthrough was achieved, both sides agreed to a phased exchange of prisoners and the repatriation of fallen soldiers' remains.
As part of that agreement, Russia pledged to return the bodies of up to 6,000 Ukrainian service members.
Ukraine has brought back the bodies of 1,212 fallen service members on June 11. Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed Ukraine released the remains of 27 Russian service members, while Kyiv did not confirm this.
The recent prisoner swap comes weeks after the largest such exchange of the war to date — from May 23–25, in which each sidereleased 1,000 captives. Since Russia's full-scale invasion began, more than 5,000 Ukrainian POWs have been returned home, according to official figures.
Ukraine continues to push for an "all-for-all" formula to bring every captured Ukrainian soldier back, but Moscow has so far rejected such a comprehensive agreement. Meanwhile, the Coordination Headquarters said preparations are underway for the next phase of exchanges in the coming weeks.
Read also: Ukraine, Russia conduct second prisoner swap under Istanbul deal
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Magazine
a minute ago
- Time Magazine
Why Putin Must Be Thrilled With the Alaska Summi
Vladimir Putin wanted a lot of things from his visit to Alaska. A ceasefire in Ukraine was not one of them. Throughout the summer, his troops have been grinding out advances along the frontline, and they achieved a sudden breakthrough in the days before the Alaska summit. Putin's main objective was to buy time for his troops to continue those advances, all while avoiding the 'very severe consequences' that President Donald Trump promised to impose on the Russians if they refused to call a ceasefire. It appears Putin succeeded on both counts. In his public statements on Friday night, Trump made clear he no longer plans to impose any economic pain on Russia. 'Because of what happened today, I think I don't have to think about that,' he told Fox News after the summit. 'I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don't have to think about that right now.' In Trump's understanding, two or three weeks is a malleable term, as the New York Times recently noted, 'not a measurement of time so much as a placeholder.' On the battlefield, however, it could mean the difference between holding off the Russians and allowing them to seize another region of Ukraine. The epicenter of the fighting in recent weeks has been the region of Donetsk, where Ukrainian troops were able to stop the latest Russian breakthrough. The latest maps of the fighting indicate that the Kremlin remains determined to seize that region. Another few weeks of Russian infantry assaults could achieve that goal, allowing Putin to negotiate with the U.S. and Ukraine from a position of greater advantage. 'Things at the front are going well for them,' a senior Ukrainian military officer tells TIME. 'Slow but steady.' These gains helped Putin negotiate in Alaska from a position of strength. Ahead of their talks, Trump indicated that he wants the warring sides to 'swap' territories, with Ukraine giving away its own land in exchange for areas Russia has occupied. 'They've occupied some very prime territory,' Trump said a few days before his summit with Putin. 'We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine.' Trump failed to achieve that in Alaska, and his chances of getting what he calls a 'fair deal' for Ukraine diminish as Russian forces continue to gain ground. For reasons that remain unclear, Trump said he believes that Putin wants to stop the fighting. 'I believe he wants to get it over,' Trump said. 'Now, I've said that a few times, and I've been disappointed.' Alaska marks the latest of these disappointments, but Trump has shown no inclination to change his strategy. He did not even secure some of the easier concessions from Putin that might have given the Americans something to show for the Alaskan spectacle. One of Russia's leading dissidents, Yulia Navalnaya, had urged Trump to secure the release of Russian political prisoners jailed for their opposition to the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, has urged the U.S. to demand the release of thousands of Ukrainian children that Russian forces have abducted from the war zone. Neither of these issues came up in the official statements in Alaska. Appearing side by side on Friday, Trump gave his guest the floor, allowing Putin to deliver another one of his rambling history lessons, a maneuver that has been likened to diplomatic 'filibustering.' When Trump's turn came to speak, he admitted that the talks had not resulted in a deal. The next step toward peace, he suggested, would be to arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelensky. But the Russian side has given no indication that it would be open to such an arrangement. Instead, at the end of their press conference in Alaska, Putin suggested in English that he and Trump would meet 'next time in Moscow,' an idea that seemed to catch Trump off guard. 'Oh, that's an interesting one,' he replied. 'I'll get a little heat on that one.' This final exchange pointed again to the paltry outcomes of the summit. The two sides had not even agreed on a location or a format for the next stage of the peace process, while Putin came away confident enough to suggest that his capital would be a fitting venue. It was hard to blame him. Given the red-carpet treatment he received in Alaska, Putin had every reason to feel like a winner coming out of those talks. He had, after all, achieved his main objective, and given nothing away.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Putin demands Zelensky surrenders Donestsk region as condition for ending war in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin is demanding Ukraine surrender the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk provinces as a condition for ending the war in Ukraine. The Russian leader told Donald Trump that he would be prepared to stop fighting on the rest of the frontline if Ukraine gave in to the demand and address 'root causes of the conflict'. The concessions were discussed at the highly-anticipated summit of the two leaders in Alaska on Friday, which ended with no peace deal despite nearly three hours of talks. Sources very close to the meeting told The Independent the dramatic move appears to have been endorsed by Mr Trump as a means to bring an end to the war. They said that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky would want to 'clarify this on Monday' when he meets with Mr Trump on Monday in Washington DC. Mr Putin's condition for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk, which make up the Donbas region, follow circulated reports on the demand ahead of Friday's summit. The Russian president also said he would freeze the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where his forces occupy large territory. However, Putin made clear he would not fall back on core demands to 'resolve root causes of the conflict', that includes Ukraine becoming a neutral state and abandoning Nato aspirations. The Donetsk region has been centre of much of recent fighting, with Russian troops making a sudden thrust near the eastern town of Dobrophillya in the days before the summit. While Russia controls almost all of Luhansk, it holds about 70 per cent of Donetsk. Last week, Mr Zelensky insisted he would reject any proposal to withdraw from the industrial Donbas region, claiming it would 'open a bridgehead' for Russian offensive. All eyes will now turn to his meeting with Mr Trump on Monday. After Friday's summit, the US president said a permanent peace deal was now the best way to end the war, appearing to abandon aims at the summit for a ceasefire agreement. He also told Fox News in an interview that he would advise Mr Zelensky to make a deal. 'Yeah. Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not,' he said when asked what he would say. Speaking ahead of Monday's meeting, Mr Zelensky said: 'I plan to discuss all the details regarding the end of the killings, the end of the war with President Trump in Washington on Monday. Grateful for the invitation.' On Saturday, Mr Putin, who also plans to visit Washington to meet Mr Trump, said Friday's meeting was 'timely' and 'useful'. The US and Russia are now 'closer to making appropriate decisions', Putin added. Meanwhile, European leaders have been putting piling pressure on Mr Trump not to cave to Putin's demands. They also support Mr Zelensky in his demand for security guarantees as part of a peace deal, to deter Russia from invading again in the future. Sir Keir Starmer and leaders from Italy, France and Germany were also on the call with Mr Zelensky spoke and the US president after Friday's summit. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the security guarantees - inspired by the transatlantic NATO alliance's Article 5 - had been the most interesting development at the summit. Speaking at the press conference after the summit, Mr Putin, who has hitherto opposed involving foreign ground forces, said he agreed with Trump that Ukraine's security must be "ensured". On Sunday afternoon, the coalition of the willing, a group of countries that have pledged to protect Ukraine, including the UK, will meet, with French president Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Sir Keir expected to lead it. In a statement on Saturday, Sir Keir said: 'President Trump's efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended. 'While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy'.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trump offers Putin, Zelensky contrasting approaches
President Donald Trump has offered his critics, the world and U.S. allies contrasting images on how America treats its friends and adversaries after failing to broker a ceasefire in Russia's unprovoked war to annex Ukraine. At the Alaska-based summit Russian President Vladimir Putin received a red-carpet welcome from the U.S. that included a B-2 bomber fly-by and a ride in the presidential limousine, nicknamed "The Beast" with video of him laughing with Trump. The two superpower leaders exchanged flatteries, with Putin saying the war wouldn't have started it Trump had been president in 2022. Andrei Gurulyov, a Russian parliament member and retired general, described it as a "breakthrough" moment that was played up heavily on Russian state television. Putin's foreign ministry said it marked an end to the foreign country's reported isolation. That showcase is in sharp contrast to a fiery exchange Trump and top administration officials had earlier this year with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when the foreign ally's leader was told in the Oval Office he was being disrespectful to the U.S. and risking World War III. Zelenskyy was teased by Trump and others for his attire and eventually booted from the White House. Republican lawmakers, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., suggested Ukraine's president should either resign, change his tune or "send somebody over that we can do business with." The administration went as far to pause intelligence sharing and weapons shipments to Ukraine after the incident, and while Trump has threatened to impose sharp economic penalties on Russian if an agreement to end the war wasn't reached, he suspended those sanctions after the Alaska sit-down with Putin. Now, Trump is poised to welcome Zelenskyy back to Washington on August 18 to discuss a peace agreement. Republican praise Trump's strength, Dems fret 'it was just theater' After being hyped by the administration and its congressional allies as an opportunity to end the more than three-year conflict in region, Trump's dealmaking skills are being tested in an international negotiation that could backfire on the country and globe. "The goal is always peace," the White House said in an Aug. 15 post on X, amid the talks. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said in an Aug. 16 post on X that Trump "stood firm in defense of U.S. interests," and that the summit marks a critical first step to a "durable and stable peace that protects Ukraine's territorial and economic sovereignty." But Democrats and other detractors warn that the summit has largely benefited Putin, who is facing war crime charges from the International Criminal Court and seeking legitimacy on the global stage after starting a war that has resulted in more than 1.4 million casualties, according to studies. "Our fear is that the Trump-Putin meeting wasn't diplomacy—it was just theater," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said in a post on X ahead of the talks. Trump seeks reset in pursuit of peace as Europe worries Trump returned to Washington on Aug. 16 carrying plenty of compliments from Putin, who said the war wouldn't have started if Joe Biden hadn't been in charge back in 2022. But without a deal the administration appears to be skipping cease-fire discussions altogether and pivoting quickly to reset its public relationship with Zelenskyy, who will be returning to the Oval Office on Aug. 18 for a talk that remains inconclusive to most observers. Trump began to tip-toe away from Putin and toward Zelenskyy in late April after Russia bombarded Kyiv with missiles. The president, however, is also reportedly considering land swaps including Ukraine areas not currently occupied by the Russians, according to the New York Times, something U.S. allies have opposed in the past. Zelenskyy said in an Aug. 16 post on X that he spoke with Trump and European leaders, adding that the "killings must stop" but that the battling must pause first before a larger peace agreement can be made. "The positions are clear," he said. "A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions." In a joint statement, European leaders echoed that sentiment and expressed support for a Putin-Zelenskyy summit. "I'm disgusted that Donald Trump met with Putin on American soil and did so with no representatives from Ukraine," Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, a retired Army helicopter pilot, said in an Aug. 16 post on X. "Trump and his inflated ego may not realize it, but it's clear that Putin is not engaging in good faith to end this war."
