“Unfortunately, this is a real photo.” A doctor caring for prisoners of war could not bear what he saw on the body of his patient, a Ukrainian soldier, who returned from Russian captivity, according to UkrInform. 

The photo showing a Ukrainian soldier with the “Glory to Russia” inscription burned into his body has shocked the Ukrainian community. It is an image of a soldier who was returned to Ukraine during previous exchanges.

Representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Andrii Yusov, has confirmed the authenticity of the shocking image.

“Unfortunately, this is a real photo. During an examination at one of the regional centers where the guys undergo rehabilitation, the doctor simply couldn’t bear what he saw, photographed and posted it,” Yusov says.

Some 90% of Ukrainian military personnel who were freed from Russian captivity reveal violations of detention conditions in one form or another, he adds.

“Violations of detention conditions, necessary nutrition standards, medical care – this is a very common phenomenon in Russian captivity. It is something that the International Committee of the Red Cross and the entire international community must work on and pressure,” Yusov claims.

Ukraine carefully documents all such facts. Yusov notes that critical weight loss by prisoners is regularly recorded during exchanges.

“This is very visually apparent, and there’s a difference in what condition the occupiers return to the so-called Russian Federation and in what condition Ukrainian defenders return,” the HUR representative emphasizes.

This information becomes part of the work of the Ukrainian investigation and justice, as well as Ukraine’s work on international legal platforms.

Ukraine aims to return up to 1,200 prisoners of war (POWs) in the next exchange with Russia following the second round of talks in Istanbul, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 2 during an online press conference attended by the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine and Russia held direct talks in Turkey earlier in the day, agreeing on a new prisoner swap, which will reportedly include young people between the ages of 18 and 25, as well as people with serious injuries.

Zelensky said the next exchange is expected to be in a 1,000-for-1,000 format, with the possibility of increasing the number to 1,200 people on each side. The president added that future swap could also involve imprisoned journalists and political prisoners held in Russia.

"It is very important that the Russians allow the lists to be checked in advance, unlike last time," Zelensky said.

Ukraine and Russia held a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange from May 23 to 25 after previously agreeing to the exchange at peace talks on May 16. Aside from yielding a prisoner exchange, the peace negotiations in Istanbul were largely inconclusive.

Apart from Ukrainian prisoners of war, the exchange list also reportedly included Anatolii Taranenko, a Ukrainian service member accused of collaborating with Russia.

Taranenko's alleged inclusion in the exchange exacerbated criticism that Ukraine failed to secure the release of any Azov fighters and many civilians who had been held captive by Russia for years in what was the largest prisoner swap of the full-scale war.

Andrii Yusov, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW), said that Kyiv could not influence who Russia decided to release in the recent swap.

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Editor's note: This story has been updated with statements by Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Russian President Vladimir Putin's advisor Vladimir Medinsky after the second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul.

Russia and Ukraine are preparing to hold a new prisoner of war (POW) exchange mediated by Turkey, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 2 at the Bucharest Nine (B9) summit.

The development comes after the second round of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul on the same day.

Ukraine's Defense Minister and head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, Rustem Umerov, later confirmed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an exchange with priority given to seriously injured and younger soldiers, Suspilne reported.

Vladimir Medinsky, Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide and head of Russia's delegation to Istanbul, clarified that the exchange would apply to people under 25. The total number of people involved in the exchange could be as many as 1,000, he added.

As a result of the previous talks in Istanbul in May, Kyiv and Moscow carried out the largest prisoner swap during Russia's war in Ukraine, exchanging 1,000 people from each side.

"If Russia turns the Istanbul meetings into empty talk, new sanctions will have to be imposed not only by Europe but also at the level of the G7, including the U.S. and all those who want them," Zelensky said.

According to the president, sanctions should remain an important lever of influence on Russia, as it continues the war in Ukraine.

"Sanctions against Russia are necessary because they will significantly reduce tanker use and trade opportunities. Lower oil prices could hit the Russian economy. Without pressure, Putin will continue to manipulate everyone who wants to end the war," Zelensky added.

During the talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation presented a peace proposal expressing its readiness to make concessions regarding Russian sanctions if a full ceasefire is achieved. According to the proposal, some of the restrictions could be lifted gradually, provided that there is a mechanism for their renewal if necessary.

The Ukrainian proposal also includes a prisoner swap in an all-for-all format, bringing back Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, as well as the release of all civilians held in Russian captivity.

While ceasefire agreements and peace talks have remained elusive since the start of the full-scale invasion, regular prisoner swaps have remained one of the few areas of ongoing cooperation between the two countries.

Ukraine has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Russia has so far rejected the proposal.

At least 8,000 Ukrainian service members are held captive by Russia, Iryna Vereshchuk, president's office deputy head, said on May 1, citing data from Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs.

Kyiv does not release the figures for how many Russian POWs are currently in Ukrainian custody.

‘We could not influence the list’ — Ukraine reacts to reported inclusion of alleged defector in prisoner swap with Russia

Ukrainian investigators are working to identify Anatolii Taranenko and verify the accusations raised against him, said Andrii Yusov, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW).

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

In a prisoner exchange held from May 23 to 25, Russia sent Ukraine 65 prisoners who were set to be deported to Ukraine regardless of the swap, Suspilne reported on May 30.

Ukraine and Russia held a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange from May 23 to 25 after previously agreeing to the exchange at peace talks on May 16. Aside from yielding a prisoner exchange, the peace negotiations in Istanbul were largely inconclusive.

The majority of those exchanged were prisoners of war in Russia's war against Ukraine. 880 of 1,000 were military personnel. 120 of those returned were civilians held in Russian captivity, 65 of whom were set to be deported to Ukraine regardless of the prisoner exchange.

15 of the prisoners were serving sentences. Meanwhile, 50 of the exchanged prisoners were indefinitely held in detention facilities for foreigners not permitted to stay in Russia, awaiting deportation to Ukraine, Suspilne reported.

While in captivity, the prisoners were offered freedom and Russian citizenship if they fought on behalf of Russia in its war against Ukraine.

"We were lucky. But it would have been better if the guys who fought had been given up instead of us," one of the released prisoners said.

Many of the released prisoners were returned to Ukraine without their legal documents, including passports.

Russia regularly convicts people of politically motivated charges in an effort to silence opposition to its war against Ukraine.

On April 18, a court in St. Petersburg sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to two years and eight months in a penal colony for allegedly "discrediting" the Russian army.

Kozyreva was arrested on Feb. 24, 2024, after she affixed a verse from Taras Shevchenko’s "My Testament" to his statue in St. Petersburg.

Another case was filed against her in August after she gave an interview to Radio Free Europe in which she denounced Russia’s war in Ukraine as "monstrous" and "criminal."

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Leader of the Georgian opposition party "Coalition for Change," Nika Melia, was detained by authorities on May 29, NewsGeorgia reported, citing Melia's associates.

Melia is being investigated for refusing to testify before a parliamentary committee probing former President Mikheil Saakashvili's time in power.

The opposition leader was arrested just before he was scheduled to appear on a television show, Melia's associates said.

"I do not know what his detention was connected with. In fact, he was kidnapped. They acted aggressively and without explanation," Melia's lawyer, Georgy Kondakhashvili, claimed.

The ruling "Georgian Dream" party has tightened its grip on power, passing a foreign agents law similar to Russia's. Mass protests erupted in Georgia in 2023 and 2024 in response to moves by authorities, which have isolated the country from the West.

Many opposition figures have not recognized Georgia's ruling party, following disputed parliamentary elections in December 2024.

Melia's commission hearing was postponed from May 29 to May 30, he has refused to attend the proceeding thus far.

Kondakhashvili claims there are no legal grounds for Melia's arrest and says the charges were likely fabricated to forcibly bring the opposition leader to the hearing he has boycotted.

Melia does not view the parliament and commission led by the "Georgian Dream" party as legitimate, and in late April, refused to pay a bail of 50,000 lari ($18,200), NewsGeorgia reported.

Georgia's accession to the EU has been suspended due to the actions of the ruling authorities since the spring of 2024, the European Commission said in October.

Georgia applied for EU candidate status in March 2022, following Ukraine, which applied in February 2022.

‘No one has seen it yet’ — Zelensky slams Russia for stalling on ceasefire memorandum ahead of Istanbul talks

“The so-called memorandum they promised and claimed to be preparing for more than a week — no one has seen it,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir