Baghdad: Russia announced on Monday the completion of a prisoner exchange with Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense indicated in a statement that the first group of Russian servicemen returned from Ukraine, in implementation of the Istanbul talks.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the statement indicated that the first group of Russian servicemen under the age of 25 was returned to Russian territory as part of the second exchange. In return, a similar number of prisoners of war from the Ukrainian Armed Forces were transferred.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced yesterday the transfer of the first batch of bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to the exchange zone agreed upon between the two parties, in implementation of the humanitarian agreement reached during the second round of talks in Istanbul earlier this month. The Ministry explained that the batch includes 1,212 bodies, many of which have been identified, while the others were classified as Ukrainian soldiers based on their military uniforms and the areas where they were found.

The Istanbul talks, which took place on June 2 under Turkish auspices and with the participation of international observers, witnessed agreement on humanitarian issues, including a comprehensive exchange of prisoners of war, including minors and the sick, and the exchange of the remains of up to 6,000 soldiers.

The two sides also exchanged memoranda regarding a limited ceasefire, without reaching a comprehensive truce, amid continuing disagreements over security and political issues.