A fragile agreement reached during the Istanbul peace talks between Ukraine and Russia is now teetering on the edge of collapse, as both sides trade blame over stalled prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of soldiers’ remains.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, in a sharply worded statement Saturday, called on Russia to honor commitments made in Istanbul, which included the exchange of wounded, ill, and young prisoners of war, as well as the return of thousands of fallen soldiers.
"The Russian side pledged to begin exchanges from now," Kyiv’s statement said, warning Moscow not to "create artificial obstacles or spread false narratives" to delay the process.
Tensions escalated when Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky claimed Ukraine had indefinitely postponed the swaps. But Kyiv swiftly rejected the accusation.
"Russia’s latest statements contradict reality and the agreements made," said Andriy Kovalenko from Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, accusing Moscow of “playing dirty games” and dragging its feet under false pretenses.
Ukraine’s Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War revealed that lists had already been shared with Russia, yet the Kremlin responded with mismatched names and unilateral actions, particularly on body repatriation.
“An agreement exists,” Ukraine reiterated. “But instead of following the agreed algorithm, Russia has acted on its own, outside the joint framework.”
Even as negotiations stall, the battlefield remains ablaze. In the dead of night, Russia launched a barrage of high-precision missiles and drones on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city and a frequent target due to its proximity to the Russian border.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov described Saturday’s bombardment as “the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war.”
Photos from the aftermath showed scorched apartment blocks, destroyed schools, and rescuers pulling injured civilians from smoldering rubble.
Three were confirmed dead, and at least 22 were wounded. Governor Oleh Syniehubov warned that people might still be trapped under debris, after 40 drones and multiple bombs struck a civilian industrial site.
Russia was also hit. In the Moscow region, two civilians were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike that forced a brief suspension of flights at Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports. Authorities reported nine drones intercepted and downed.
In total, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 36 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including Moscow.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said it downed a Russian Su-35 fighter jet – a claim unconfirmed by Moscow and unverified by independent sources.
Adding to the high-stakes tension, a senior German military official revealed on Saturday that a recent Ukrainian drone assault deep into Russian territory may have damaged around 10% of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet.
The strike reportedly hit aircraft as they were being prepped for sorties against Ukraine.
