Russia and Ukraine have carried out the first exchange of war prisoners under 25, as agreed in the second round of peace negotiations held a week ago in Istanbul.
Volodymyr Zelensky has assured that the agreed exchanges will take place over several days, while Moscow states that the first phase has concluded.
Additionally, the Ukrainian Air Force has reported that Russia launched 479 explosive drones over its territory during the night and 20 missiles in the most extensive attack since the beginning of the war. The statement mentioned that 460 of these drones had been intercepted, along with 19 of the 20 missiles.
The previous record was just over a week ago: on June 1, Ukraine said it was attacked with 472 drones.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to target Russian strategic infrastructures with drones. This morning, the target was an electronics company in the Chuvashia region, about 1,300 km from the border, which had to halt its production after two drones crashed on the premises.
The governor of the region, Oleg Nikolayev, stated that the attack, one of the deepest by a Ukrainian drone in Russia during the war, did not cause any casualties. Kiev claimed responsibility for the attack on a company that produces antennas for Shahed kamikaze drones.
Lavrov warns that the war in Ukraine will continue alongside humanitarian exchanges
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Monday that the Russian military campaign in Ukraine will continue "in parallel" with the fulfillment of humanitarian agreements with Kiev. "We participated in the negotiations in Istanbul. (But) The operation will continue. The president (Vladimir Putin) made it clear," Lavrov said at the 2050 Future Forum.
At the same time, he stated that Moscow also aims to achieve its military objectives through diplomatic means, mainly through "solving humanitarian issues, such as prisoner exchanges." He emphasized that Russia always complies with agreements, "as confirmed on more than one occasion during the negotiations," and added that "the truth is always on the side of those demanding compliance with what was agreed."
"The example that diplomacy is still necessary is the Ukrainian situation. Now our best diplomats are undoubtedly the soldiers on the front line. They fight for truth, honor, and dignity of the people," Lavrov pointed out.
Russia confirms prisoner exchange but not the number of released
Russia confirmed on Monday that a new group of prisoners of war had been exchanged between Kiev and Moscow, as agreed last week in the second round of negotiations between the two countries in Istanbul.
"A first group of Russian soldiers under 25 has been repatriated from the territory under the control of the Kiev regime. In exchange, the same number of soldiers from the Ukrainian army was transferred," stated the Russian Ministry of Defense in a statement, without specifying the number of soldiers exchanged.
Defense did not specify the number of exchanged prisoners or the date of future exchanges, which will be carried out in the "all for all" format, but not less than a thousand, as previously reported by the Russian chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky. "At the moment, Russian soldiers are in Belarus, where they are being offered the necessary psychological and medical assistance," added the Russian military command. According to Defense, "all Russian soldiers will be transferred to Russia to receive medical care and rehabilitation at the Ministry of Defense's medical centers."
Zelensky: "The exchange will continue in the coming days"
"Our people have returned home. Ukrainians are returning home after their Russian captivity. Today, an exchange began that will continue in several phases over the next few days. Among those we are bringing back are the wounded, severely wounded, and those under 25. The process is quite complex, with many delicate details, and negotiations continue almost daily. We trust in the full implementation of the humanitarian agreements reached during the Istanbul meeting. We are doing everything possible to bring back each person. We work to achieve this at all levels. We must bring back home all those who remain in captivity. I thank everyone who is helping us," wrote Volodymyr Zelensky in X.
Russia and Ukraine exchange the first group of war prisoners under 25
Russia and Ukraine carried out the first exchange of war prisoners under 25 today, as reported on Monday by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
This exchange took place in line with the agreement reached in the second round of peace negotiations a week ago in Istanbul, the ministry stated on Telegram.
Russia says its troops advance in the Dnipropetrovsk region and attacked the Dubno airbase
Russian troops took more territory in the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk and carried out a massive attack on an airfield near the settlement of Dubno using long-range weapons, as reported by Russian agencies citing the Ministry of Defense.
The attack was a retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian military airfields, stated the Ministry of Defense.
Two individuals arrested for planning an attack on a military company in Moscow
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Monday the arrest of two individuals who were planning to carry out an attack on a military industry company in the Moscow region, as reported by Efe.
"The FSB prevented the illegal activity of two Russian citizens who intended to commit an act of sabotage at one of the Defense industry companies in the Moscow region," the agency stated on its website.
The security forces accuse the detainees, born in 1997 and 1999, of communicating with a Ukrainian terrorist organization and acting under its instructions to infiltrate as employees in the affected company, where they first conducted reconnaissance tasks, photographing key facilities and subsequently sending them to the Ukrainian side.
"To carry out the attacks, the perpetrators manufactured explosives with materials they had hidden and with which they were finally arrested after introducing them into the company's territory," they explained. Both detainees face charges of high treason after confessing their crimes.
Russia states readiness to carry out prisoner exchange
The Kremlin stated on Monday that Russia was ready to fulfill agreements with Ukraine regarding a new exchange of prisoners of war and the repatriation of deceased soldiers, but accused Kiev of not fulfilling its part of the deal.
Russia accused Ukraine over the weekend of indefinitely postponing the exchanges, agreed upon during a second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month.
Volodymyr Zelensky promised on Sunday to proceed with the prisoner exchange with Russia, but stated that Ukraine had not yet received the complete list of prisoners to be released.
Kremlin says the advance towards the Dnipropetrovsk region aims to create a "buffer zone"
The Kremlin stated on Monday that the Russian forces' advance towards the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk was partly motivated by the desire to create a "buffer zone."
Russia announced on Sunday that its forces had advanced to the edge of the central-eastern region of Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked if the advance aimed to create a buffer zone, responded: "Undoubtedly, that is part of it."
Russia arrests six individuals accused of illegally exporting military aviation parts
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Monday the arrest of six individuals who were illegally exporting parts of Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine, among other countries, as reported by Efe.
"The FSB stopped the illegal activity of an internationally organized group involved in smuggling aeronautical equipment abroad, including to Ukraine," the security services communicated through their website.
To carry out the operation, the detainees acquired components of Mi-9 and Mi-17 helicopters from licensed production companies through a chain of business structures to subsequently "illegally transport across the state border," they stated.
The security services claim that the six individuals detained for smuggling military equipment, citizens of Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East, were coordinated by individuals residing abroad.
It is estimated that the value of the components exceeds 400 million rubles (over 4.4 million dollars), and the parts in question would supply four helicopters.