Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia concluded in Istanbul

                                                                                                         Talks of a prisoner exchange

After the Ukrainian strike: talks of a prisoner exchange with Russia

Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia concluded in Istanbul, with a clear focus on the prisoner exchange issue, without achieving tangible progress towards ending the three-year conflict.

Diplomatic sources reported that during the second round of negotiations, held on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations discussed a new prisoner exchange, in addition to the issue of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Russia.

Ukraine said that among the topics discussed during the meeting were the release of more prisoners and the return of children, without elaborating on discussions related to a ceasefire or broader political agreements.

For his part, Oncu Kicili, spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said that the meeting "did not end negatively," but also did not achieve any significant breakthrough. These talks come just one day after Ukraine carried out a large-scale airstrike using drones targeting Russian military bases, in an operation described as the "most ambitious" since the start of the war.

Ukraine Strikes Deep into Russia

In a remarkable development, Ukraine announced that it had destroyed at least 13 Russian warplanes during the recent airstrikes, which reached deep within Russian territory, including Siberia. The Ukrainian Internal Security Service (SBU) said that Russian losses were estimated at approximately $7 billion, if the results of the strikes are confirmed, making it one of the costliest Ukrainian attacks for Russia to date. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the operation had received his approval 18 months ago.