Ukraine and Russia Begin Largest Prisoner Exchange

Ukraine and Russia have initiated what officials say is their largest prisoner-of-war exchange to date, following limited diplomatic engagement in Istanbul last week — the first formal peace talks between the two countries in over three years.

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Ukrainian authorities have confirmed to global media that the exchange process began Friday, involving a planned swap of 2,000 prisoners, as agreed during the recent round of talks. While the broader negotiations failed to yield breakthroughs on a ceasefire, the prisoner agreement was seen as a modest yet significant confidence-building measure.

The Istanbul talks, hosted with international mediation, ended without resolution on core issues, largely due to what Ukrainian officials described as uncompromising demands from Moscow. However, both sides agreed to proceed with the prisoner exchange as a humanitarian gesture.

Adding to the international spotlight, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social earlier Friday, claiming the swap had already been completed and congratulating both parties. “This could lead to something big???” he wrote. However, Ukrainian officials responded by clarifying that while the exchange had begun, it was still in progress and not yet finalized.

Observers remain cautiously optimistic that this exchange may open the door to further humanitarian cooperation or future diplomatic steps, even as substantive peace remains elusive.