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Ukraine Says Istanbul POW-Swap Framework Reactivated to Free 1,200 Captives

Mediation by Türkiye alongside the UAE has advanced the process to technical planning, with Kyiv targeting holiday-season reunions.

Overview

  • NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov said talks produced agreement to use the 2022 Istanbul arrangements for a large prisoner exchange covering 1,200 Ukrainians.
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is counting on the resumption of POW swaps and that intensive meetings and calls are underway.
  • Umerov stated that technical consultations to set procedures and logistics will take place soon to enable the exchange.
  • Moscow had not issued an immediate comment on Ukraine’s announcements, leaving timelines contingent on further engagement.
  • The Istanbul accords, brokered in 2022 by Türkiye, have guided sporadic large-scale swaps that have returned thousands, with Zelenskyy citing 5,857 Ukrainians home by July.