Last week's Istanbul peace talks between Russia and Ukraine did not lead to much in terms of achieving ceasefire or peace as there were no breakthroughs whatsoever. However, it did give the two sides a chance to increase their swaps of POWs, and this is where Istanbul bore fruit.

The delegations agreed to a swap of 1,000 captives from each side, totaling 2,000 - which makes it by far the biggest single exchange of the war. Friday saw the two sides complete an initial round of fulfilling this agreement, with almost 800 people released.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that "270 Russian servicemen and 120 civilians" were returned to Russia on Friday, wile Ukraine said 390 people arrived back to Ukraine, including 270 military personnel and 120 civilians. Three women were among the Ukrainians released.

"We are bringing our people home," Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky declared on social media. The swap happened at the Belarus-Ukraine border, and was facilitated by several buses.  

Zelensky confirmed: "The first part of the agreement to exchange 1000 for 1000 has been implemented."

"On the Ukrainian side, dozens of people waited for hours to greet the returnees at a meeting place in Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine, many hoping to see their family members among those being brought back," observed one report.

"Many brought Ukrainian flags and photographs of their loved ones – in case any of the returnees would recognize them and give them information about their whereabouts," the report added.

The NY Times alleges that Ukrainian prisoners in Russian hands are treated much worse:

Unlike Moscow, Kyiv is also sensitive to demands by the Western nations backing its military that Ukraine comply with international law on the treatment of prisoners.

The Ukrainians allow visits to prisoner of war camps by both the United Nations and Red Cross; those organizations have largely been denied access in Russia and the Ukrainian territory it occupies.

This largest prisoner exchange of the war is expected to continue over the coming days. There remain significant logistical challenges to be able to make it happen.

As drones and large-scale aerial attacks continue being exchanged, prisoner swaps have been rare bright spot in the war. Other than this, the warring sides haven't agreed on anything else.