Ukraine's Security Council chief heads to Turkey to 'unblock' POW exchanges
National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov arrived in Istanbul on Nov. 11 to "unblock" the process of prisoner of war (POWs) exchanges with Russia, he announced on Telegram.
The trip comes more than a month after the last prisoner exchange, with President Volodymyr Zelensky tasking Umerov with bringing Ukrainian POWs home as negotiations with Russia remain stalled.
"There was an agreement, and it must be implemented," Umerov wrote. "There will be meetings in the coming days, particularly in Turkey. The issue at hand is to resume exchanges."
More than 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly still held in Russian captivity.
During the first direct negotiations with Russia in Istanbul earlier this year, Kyiv secured a major release of POWs in what was seen as the only tangible result of the talks.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, Kyiv has brought home more than 5,800 people from Russian captivity through exchanges, the Ukrainian president said in July.
Kyiv has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, a proposal Russia has rejected.
Moscow has been accused of violating international law, including the Geneva Conventions, through the abuse and torture of Ukrainian POWs and captive civilians.
