Russia and Ukraine have carried out another stage of the prisoner of war exchange, carried out in accordance with the agreements reached on June 2, 2025 in Istanbul. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the second group of Russian servicemen held in Ukrainian captivity was returned to Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological assistance. In exchange, Moscow handed over a group of Ukrainian servicemen to Kyiv, but the exact number of participants in the exchange from both sides has not been disclosed. This step became part of the ongoing humanitarian process aimed at returning prisoners home, despite the ongoing difficulties in negotiations between the parties to the conflict.

The prisoner exchange took place against the backdrop of agreements reached during the second round of Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, held under the auspices of Turkish mediators. According to RBC, on June 2, the delegations of the two countries agreed to exchange seriously wounded, seriously ill servicemen and persons under 25 years of age. The first stage of the exchange, carried out on June 9, allowed a group of Russian and Ukrainian servicemen to return home, which was an important humanitarian step after a long break in direct negotiations. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2022, Russia and Ukraine have conducted more than 80 such exchanges, which indicates that channels for humanitarian dialogue are maintained despite political differences.