Overview

• Ukraine and Russia held a new prisoner exchange on June 26 as part of an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month.
• Neither side disclosed how many soldiers were swapped, continuing the practice of keeping exact figures confidential.
• The exchange involved Ukrainian army, national guard and border guard personnel, alongside a group of Russian servicemen now in Belarus awaiting return.
• Numerous Ukrainian prisoners of war reported suffering prolonged torture while in Russian detention prior to their release.
• Peace negotiations remain stalled as Russia insists on territorial concessions and Ukraine, backed by European allies, demands an unconditional 30-day truce before further talks.