Overview

• Russia delivered 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv in the latest tranche under the Istanbul agreement.
• Moscow says it received 19 Russian fighters in return, but Ukraine has not independently verified that number.
• Ukrainian officials assert that some of the returned remains were actually Russian, intensifying disputes over the exchange’s integrity.
• The swap follows May–June bilateral talks in Istanbul facilitated by the UAE and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
• Humanitarian exchanges have become a rare channel of contact and political messaging between Russia and Ukraine as broader peace efforts remain stalled.