Ukraine, Russia Progress on New Prisoner Exchange

(MENAFN) Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that Kyiv is actively preparing a new roster of detainees to be swapped with Russia.

This initiative stems from the outcomes of their most recent negotiations, which took place in Türkiye last month.

Zelenskyy made these remarks after convening with National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak.

Their discussion focused on carrying out the decisions made in Istanbul—a major Turkish city—where delegations from both Moscow and Kyiv participated in a third series of revived peace discussions on July 23.

Following that third session, Ukraine suggested organizing a summit between the presidents of both nations before the conclusion of August. During the meeting, the two parties also found common ground on advancing the process of prisoner of war (POW) exchanges.

Vladimir Medinsky, who headed the Russian negotiating team, stated during a press briefing after the talks that both countries had recently completed a POW exchange involving 1,200 captives each.

He confirmed that they also reached an understanding to carry out a new exchange using the same framework.

"Among the key issues is the continuation of POW (prisoners of war) exchanges. There is an agreement to exchange 1,200 people, and work on the lists is ongoing," Zelenskyy declared in a post on X.

He noted that Umerov, who spearheaded Ukraine’s delegation in Istanbul, had briefed him on recent interactions with the Russian envoy.

Zelenskyy also added, "We are also working to unblock the return of our civilians and are verifying data on each individual," highlighting efforts to ensure the safe return of Ukrainian non-combatants.

Additionally, he mentioned that Yermak had updated him on Ukraine’s alignment with allied nations—particularly the US—in backing Kyiv’s diplomatic pursuits and other associated matters.

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