Russia and Ukraine carried out a new exchange of prisoners of war on 4 July, returning undisclosed but equal numbers of captives under the framework of the Istanbul agreements negotiated last month. The Russian Ministry of Defense said its service members were transferred via Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological care before being moved to military hospitals in Russia. State news agency Tass added that the swap included two civilians from the Kursk region and was conducted on a parity basis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the handover, noting that many of the released Ukrainians—soldiers, National Guard members, border guards, transport troops and several civilians—had been held since 2022. He called for continued exchanges until all captives are freed. The operation is the eighth stage of a large-scale prisoner-swap programme agreed in Istanbul on 2 June, which prioritises servicemembers under 25 as well as the severely wounded or ill. The previous exchange took place on 26 June.