- Ukraine, Russia Agree on Prisoner Swap but Ceasefire Talks Stall.
- Moscow proposes short truce, Kyiv demands unconditional peace.
- Drone strike damages $7bn in Russian bombers amid fresh offensives.
Ukraine and Russia have reached a significant prisoner exchange deal but failed to agree on an immediate ceasefire, following the second round of peace talks in Istanbul. Both sides agreed to exchange severely wounded prisoners and all captured soldiers aged 18 to 25, with at least 1,000 individuals set for release on each side.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, leading Kyiv’s delegation, confirmed the exchange agreement, emphasizing it covered the most vulnerable prisoners. Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, added that Moscow would also unilaterally return the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers, although Kyiv claimed both parties agreed to exchange the dead.
Despite the breakthrough on prisoners, Russia rejected Ukraine’s demand for an unconditional ceasefire. Instead, it proposed a temporary two- to three-day truce in select front-line areas to retrieve bodies from the battlefield. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya expressed disappointment, noting that Moscow’s limited proposal falls short of ending the violence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his stance that any peace deal must not reward Russian aggression. “Putin must get nothing that would justify his war,” Zelensky declared at a NATO press conference in Vilnius.
Turkey hosted the negotiations, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offering to facilitate a summit between Zelensky, Putin, and U.S. President Donald Trump. Talks are expected to resume by the end of June.
Russia presented a formal document outlining sweeping demands, including territorial concessions and a ban on Ukraine joining NATO—terms Kyiv has firmly rejected.
Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed a major drone attack damaged 40 Russian bombers, highlighting the ongoing intensity of the conflict that has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.
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