Medinsky announced the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
At the talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian and Russian sides agreed on the largest exchange of prisoners of war since the beginning of the special military operation, which will include at least 1,000 people, and the exchange will be equal. This was stated on June 2 by the head of the Russian delegation at the talks, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky.
"At the same time, the total exchange ceiling will be at least 1,000 people on each side. Maybe there will be more. Now these figures are being adjusted," he said during a press conference.
He noted that the exchange will take place according to the "everything for everyone" formula.
"First of all, all the seriously injured and seriously ill will be exchanged on an all-for-all basis. This is a humanitarian gesture on our part. Secondly, according to the same "all for all" formula, young soldiers under the age of 25 will be exchanged. <...> It is better to recover at home. Such exchanges will take place regularly, in a working manner," Medinsky said.
He also added that Moscow would unilaterally transfer 6,000 bodies of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to Kiev.
The second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul ended earlier in the day. According to a source in Izvestia, they lasted more than an hour and were broadcast in Russian. According to the source, during the meeting the sides discussed in detail possible prisoner exchanges.
The Russian delegation included Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. The Kiev negotiating group is headed by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, and its composition has been expanded to 14 people.
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