Moscow: Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday announced the exchange of more bodies of their fallen soldiers, a development stemming from agreements reached during peace talks in Istanbul.

According to Anadolu Agency, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led Russia's delegation in the three rounds of talks facilitated by Trkiye, stated on Telegram, "Today, we handed over 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers to the Ukrainian side. They gave us 19." Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed receiving the bodies of 1,000 of its servicemen, expressing gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for facilitating the swap.

The Ukrainian department also claimed that five of the returned bodies were of servicemen listed among the 'seriously wounded or seriously ill' prisoners set for exchange during the second round of talks in Istanbul. Russian authorities have yet to comment on this claim.

The peace talks conducted in Istanbul on May 16, June 2, and July 23 resulted in significant prisoner swaps and draft memorandums that detailed the positions of both sides towards a potential peace agreement. These efforts have progressed significantly following last week's meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska. A subsequent meeting in Washington between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European leaders on Monday further pushed the peace process forward. Key issues in the negotiations include potential land swaps and security assurances for Ukraine.