The Kremlin has announced that Russian forces are pushing to create “buffer zones” along the border with Ukraine. This statement comes as fighting continues in the wake of a third round of peace talks that failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russia has no intention of de-escalating its war on Ukraine following a brief meeting between delegations in Istanbul.
The talks in Istanbul, which lasted just 40 minutes, discussed further prisoner swaps but remained far apart on a ceasefire and a proposed face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, confirmed that an exchange of prisoners had been carried out on the Ukraine-Belarus border, with about 250 people returned to each side.
Zelenskyy confirmed the exchange, saying in a post on social media that the ninth stage of an exchange process agreed to by the parties in Istanbul meant that more than 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners had been returned. “For a thousand families, this means the joy of embracing their loved ones again,” Zelenskyy said, adding that many of the prisoners had been in captivity for more than three years. “It is important that the exchanges are ongoing and our people are coming home,” he emphasized.
Despite the talks, Russia and Ukraine continued their air attacks against each other. Russia launched 103 attack drones and four missiles at Ukraine overnight, killing three people in the Kharkiv region. Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine’s delegation in Istanbul had reiterated its “proposal for an immediate and full ceasefire”. However, he added that Russia had responded with drone strikes on residential buildings and infrastructure in Ukraine.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Zelenskyy stated, “We will make every effort to ensure that diplomacy works… But it is Russia that must end this war.” The conflict has resulted in significant humanitarian and material losses on both sides, with no clear end in sight.