Russia, Ukraine Agree To Swap 6,000 Soldiers’ Bodies In Istanbul Peace Talks After Kyiv Drone Attack

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met at Ciragan Palace in Turkey on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks.

The dialogue followed a major Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow’s airbases just a day earlier.

The peace talks lasted over an hour and were hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Turkish intelligence officials also attended the meeting.

According to officials cited by the Associated Press, both countries agreed to exchange 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv’s delegation, said a new Prisoners of War (PoW) exchange had been agreed.

This round will focus on severely injured individuals and young captives, he announced in a message shared via the Ukrainian Embassy’s WhatsApp group.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius, confirmed that both sides had exchanged documents through Turkish mediation.

“We are preparing a new release of prisoners of war,” he said.

Despite diplomatic engagement, heavy fighting continues along the 1,000-kilometre front line. Both sides have launched deep strikes on each other’s territories.

On Sunday, Ukraine destroyed more than 40 Russian aircraft in a deep drone assault, according to Ukraine’s Security Service.

In retaliation, Russia pounded Ukrainian targets with missiles and drones.

Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed to have shot down 162 Ukrainian drones over eight regions, including annexed Crimea.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said its air force had damaged 52 of 80 Russian drones launched overnight.

Early Monday, two ballistic missiles struck Kharkiv, one landing near a school, the city’s mayor reported.

The strikes add to growing civilian concerns as peace remains elusive.

Though progress on talks continues, both sides remain far apart on key terms to end the three-year war, officials confirmed.

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