Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul have addressed potential peace terms and prisoner exchanges. The discussions, held with Turkish mediation, saw both sides presenting drafts of a peace agreement.

A new prisoner exchange is also being prepared. This follows a previous exchange in mid-May where 1,000 prisoners were released by each side.

The second round of negotiations took place in Istanbul, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressing hope for a ceasefire and further agreements on prisoner exchanges. Fidan emphasized the need for concrete progress in the negotiations. The meeting itself lasted just over an hour.

While the delegations departed Istanbul without further discussions planned for the day, a third round of negotiations is expected to occur in the future. A specific date for this next meeting has not been announced.

Prior to the negotiations, Russia stated that it had nearly finalized a memorandum on Ukraine, outlining potential settlement terms and conditions for a temporary ceasefire.

The lead-up to the talks was marked by reported terrorist attacks within Russia, including incidents targeting railway infrastructure in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, resulting in injuries and fatalities. Additionally, drone attacks targeted airfields in several regions of Russia, with the Ministry of Defense classifying these as terrorist attacks.