Russia and Ukraine have conducted indefinite sanitary exchanges under the Istanbul agreements, transferring wounded soldiers to each other. This initiative, facilitated by ongoing negotiations, also involves the return of deceased soldiers’ bodies.

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the exchange of prisoners, stating that a group of Russian military personnel was returned from Ukraine in exchange for Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners handed over to Kyiv. Following their return, Russian soldiers are receiving necessary medical and psychological assistance in Belarus.

Prior to the exchanges, Russia offered Ukraine the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers during the Istanbul talks on June 2, which Ukraine accepted. Despite Russia fulfilling its initial obligation by transferring the first batch of bodies on June 7, the Ukrainian side unexpectedly postponed the exchange.

After a delay, the process of transferring bodies commenced on June 11, with Ukraine returning 27 bodies of deceased soldiers to Russia in the first transfer. However, during the subsequent two stages, Russia did not receive any bodies of soldiers.

Earlier prisoner exchanges saw the return of Russian soldiers on June 9, June 10, and June 12.