Planned Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap delayed amid continued strikes

Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of postponing a scheduled prisoner exchange over the weekend, while Ukraine denied the accusation and urged Russia to stop playing "dirty games."

The trade of allegations comes amid escalating military actions on both sides, raising concerns over the prospects for renewed peace talks, analysts have noted.

In a Telegram post, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said that Ukraine has postponed a planned exchange of prisoners and the handover of fallen soldiers' bodies.

Medinsky added that Russia has handed over the first list of 640 prisoners to Ukraine and begun transferring bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers, but Ukrainian negotiators did not arrive at the exchange site.

Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Telegram that the Russian statements "do not correspond to reality or to previous agreements on either the exchange of prisoners or the repatriation of bodies."

It noted that the date for the swap was not agreed upon, accusing Russia of using "sensitive humanitarian topics for informational purposes."

During their last round of talks in Istanbul on Monday, the two sides agreed on an "all-for-all" exchange involving seriously ill and wounded prisoners, as well as soldiers under the age of 25, according to Medinsky.

The proposed exchange was expected to involve up to 1,200 individuals on each side, marking the largest such operation since the beginning of the conflict, according to Russian estimates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that a prisoner exchange under a "500-for-500" formula would take place this weekend.

Military escalation

Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have continued to carry out strikes amid the stalled exchange efforts. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the military conducted group strikes using long-range precision weapons and drones against targets in Ukraine, following six similar attacks over the past week.

Ukraine's military said it carried out strikes on two Russian military airbases located in Russia's Saratov and Ryazan regions on the night of June 5-6, along with attacks on other key military facilities.

The uptick in hostilities follows a series of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on Russian territory in recent weeks.

Ukrainian drones attacked multiple Russian airfields on June 1, just a day before their latest round of direct negotiations in Istanbul, damaging Russian aircraft. On Tuesday, Ukraine launched its third strike on the Crimean Bridge since the escalation of the conflict. On Thursday, Ukrainian forces conducted a precision missile strike on the area of a Russian missile unit in the Bryansk region.

Russia has also intensified its long-range missile strikes. Between May 20 and 26, Russian forces carried out strikes across several Ukrainian regions, targeting air defense systems, military depots and communication facilities.

Elusive prospect

The prisoner exchange plan emerged from renewed peace efforts. Delegations from both countries held their first direct talks in over three years in Istanbul on May 16, followed by a second round on June 2. While both sides agreed on humanitarian exchanges, divisions remain on core issues such as a potential ceasefire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Ukraine tried to derail the peace talks by carrying out the attacks, while Zelensky criticized Russia's proposal at the talks, calling it an "ultimatum" rather than a peace memorandum.

Analysts noted the latest round of talks and agreements on prisoner exchanges sent a positive signal. However, continued strikes risk further derailing negotiations and casting doubt on any near-term resolution to the conflict.

In Washington, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Putin earlier this week – their fourth this year. Trump later described their call "good" but "not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace."

During a meeting with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, Trump said the deep-rooted hostility between the two sides makes a rapid ceasefire unlikely.