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Russia and Ukraine swap prisoners of war as fighting continues
Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner of war exchange involving people under 25, a result of direct talks in Istanbul on June 2, with plans for larger swaps to follow.
The exchange aims to repatriate at least 1,200 POWs on each side and return the bodies of those killed, a rare point of agreement amid ongoing conflict.
Despite the prisoner exchange, fighting continues, with Russia claiming territorial gains in Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv reporting a major drone attack by Moscow.
Freed Ukrainian prisoners, some held since the war's start, made emotional calls home, offering updates to relatives of those still captive.
Both sides stated the intention to exchange severely ill or injured prisoners in the coming days, with Russia providing psychological and medical assistance to its returned servicemen in Belarus.
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