Istanbul Negotiations Result in Large-Scale Prisoner and Civilian Exchanges
Istanbul negotiations enabled the return of thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, followed by continued exchanges and a pause in talks.
The Istanbul talks resulted in the return of more than two thousand Russian servicemen, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin.
He said that agreements reached in Istanbul made it possible to bring back to Russia around 2,300 Russian soldiers, along with approximately 170 civilian nationals. At the same time, Kiev received about 2,400 military personnel and roughly 170 civilians, Galuzin noted.
Since the beginning of the year, delegations from both sides have met several times in Istanbul. Negotiations took place on May 16, June 2, and July 23. Following the latest round, the parties agreed to continue open-ended sanitary exchanges involving seriously wounded and ill individuals.
In addition, Moscow declared its readiness to transfer a further 3,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen to Kiev. Russia also put forward a proposal for a large-scale prisoner exchange involving at least 1,200 people from each side.
During the same talks, the Russian side suggested establishing working groups in three areas: political, humanitarian, and military. Kiev, however, did not respond to this initiative. As a result, the negotiation process was effectively put on hold.