OREANDA-NEWS The Russian Defense Ministry said that as part of the agreements reached in Istanbul, Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war and civilians.

"On May 23, in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached on May 16 in Istanbul, 270 Russian servicemen, as well as 120 civilians, including civilians captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, were returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime," the ministry said.

"In return, 270 prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 120 civilians were transferred," the military said.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian military personnel and civilians are currently in Belarus, where they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance.

"All Russian military personnel and civilians will be transported to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions," the ministry said in a statement.

The day before, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, told Interfax that the Russian side had received a Ukrainian list for the exchange of prisoners in the "1000 by 1000" format. Earlier on Thursday, Peskov told Interfax that Moscow had handed Kiev its list of candidates for the exchange.

The agreement on a 1,000-for-1,000 exchange was reached during the first direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in three years, which took place last week in Istanbul.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on the previous prisoner exchange on May 6. Then Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners in the 205 for 205 format with the mediation of the UAE.

Prior to that, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on the prisoner exchange on April 19. Then Russia and Ukraine exchanged according to the formula 246 for 246. The Russian side also managed to return 15 wounded soldiers, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Previous prisoner exchanges have also been mediated by the UAE.