ISTANBUL

Russia and Ukraine exchanged on Thursday 185 servicemen each as part of deals reached in Istanbul earlier this year, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed.

A statement by the ministry announced the swap, adding that it also received 20 civilians. The Russian servicemen and civilians are in neighboring Belarus, where they are receiving the “necessary psychological and medical assistance.”

“All returned Russian servicemen and civilians will be transported to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation in medical facilities,” the statement added.

Ukraine, however, has yet to confirm the swap.

Russia and Ukraine held three rounds of renewed peace talks in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul — on May 16, June 2, and July 23 — resulting in major prisoner swaps and draft memoranda outlining respective positions for a future peace deal to the conflict that continues since February 2022. The peace process, which gained momentum after a summit between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15, seems to have stalled.

The Wall Street Journal, quoting American officials, reported on Thursday that the US will provide Ukraine with intelligence for long-range missile strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, as the Trump administration weighs sending Kyiv powerful weapons that could put in range more targets within Russia.