Russia and Ukraine have agreed to carry out the largest prisoner-of-war exchange since the onset of the conflict between the two countries.

The decision was taken during the peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Dolmabahce Palace in Turkish city of Istanbul today. It marks the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in more than three years. The Ukrainian team was led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov while the Russian side was headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky. Neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the talks.

Speaking at a news conference after the meeting, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Umerov said, the two countries have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side. He emphasized that this agreement was the key outcome of the meeting.

Head of the Russian delegation, Medinskiy, said, Moscow is satisfied with the results of the meeting, and talks will continue.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan moderated the talks. If the exchange goes ahead, it would be the biggest prisoner swap in more than three years since conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022.

Meanwhile, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of European leaders in Albania today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called for pressure on Russia, including sanctions, if talks failed to make real progress.