Overview

• Ukraine and Russia completed their fourth prisoner exchange in a week under accords reached in Istanbul.
• Most of the returned Ukrainians were officers wounded or ill and held captive since 2022.
• Kyiv also received 1,200 unidentified bodies that Russia said belonged to Ukrainian citizens including military personnel.
• The freed defenders represent units from across the Armed Forces, National Guard and other security services and will undergo medical assessments, rehabilitation and receive payments for their captivity.
• Russia has intensified its offensive in the northeastern Sumy region, deploying an estimated 53,000 troops to secure a buffer zone along its border.