Russia and Ukraine Conduct Massive Prisoner Swap Following Istanbul Talks

Ukraine and Russia conducted a significant prisoner swap on Friday, marking a notable development after direct talks in Istanbul last week. This was the first direct peace negotiation between the two nations since the beginning of Russia's invasion in 2022. President Trump confirmed the exchange in a Truth Social post, noting that both sides agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners. The talks in Istanbul, however, did not result in a ceasefire agreement proposed by Trump. A Ukrainian military source verified that the prisoner exchange had commenced but was still ongoing. Moscow has not yet released an official confirmation regarding the exchange.