Russia and Ukraine have released a total of more than 390 people in an exchange of prisoners of war and civilians - the largest such operation since the beginning of the war in 2022, reports "Reuters".
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that 270 prisoners of war and 120 civilians had been released. Ukrainian sources confirmed that the exchange was underway, with a reception for the returned prisoners being organized in the northern Chernihiv region.
The exchange follows an agreement reached after two hours of talks between the two countries in Istanbul last week, in which a total of 1,000 people were agreed to be exchanged. It is the only concrete step toward peace to emerge from the first direct talks between Kiev and Moscow in more than three years.
US President Donald Trump, who proposed a ceasefire that was not accepted, commented on the exchange on Truth Social: "Congratulations to both sides on these talks. Could this lead to something big???"
Ukraine has said it is ready to immediately accept a 30-day ceasefire. But Russia is insisting that its conditions, including further territorial withdrawal by Kiev, disarmament and withdrawal from military alliances with the West - demands that Ukrainian officials have described as unrealistic.
According to President Trump, who has softened US support for Ukraine and partially adopted the Russian position, new sanctions against Moscow could be imposed if it blocks peace. However, after a phone call with Vladimir Putin on Monday, Trump decided to temporarily take no action.
The fighting on the front lines continues. On Friday, the Russian army announced that it had captured the village of Rakovka in the Kharkiv region. Meanwhile, the governor of the Odessa region, Oleg Kiper, said that two Russian missiles had hit port infrastructure, killing one person and wounding eight.