Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov told Ukrainian TV on Friday as talks in Istanbul ended.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side following the first direct talks between the two warring countries in three years. Under pressure from President Donald Trump to end the conflict, delegates from both countries met for the first time since March 2022, the month after Russia invaded its neighbour.

Head of Russia’s delegation Vladimir Medinsky said Moscow and Kyiv agreed to provide each other with detailed proposals for a ceasefire. If the exchange goes ahead, it would be the biggest prisoner swap in more than three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.