Russia and Ukraine began an exchange of prisoners of war after direct talks in Istanbul made progress.
The two sides agreed to each hand over at least 1,200 POWs and repatriate bodies of the deceased: The first tranche included prisoners aged under 25 and those who had been severely wounded.
It’s one of just a few agreements negotiators have reached in the fraught discussions, which the US had hoped would lead to a ceasefire deal.
In a sign of how far from peace the belligerents are, Russia launched another major drone strike overnight, hitting a hospital maternity ward in Odesa and parts of Kyiv, killing two, Ukrainian officials said.
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