Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that Russia is prepared to return the bodies of 3,000 additional Ukrainian soldiers as part of ongoing humanitarian agreements between Moscow and Kyiv.

Speaking at a meeting with international media in St. Petersburg, Putin said, “We have returned the bodies of 6,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers. We are ready to hand over nearly 3,000 more. These are, I repeat, sad and tragic figures.”

Putin also highlighted progress from peace talks held in Istanbul, which included agreements on prisoner exchanges and the return of war casualties. “We have agreed to the exchange of 1,200 prisoners. So far, 500 have been released—400 returned to us. I believe we will receive everyone we’re supposed to,” he added.

Despite the somber tone, Putin described the outcomes of the Istanbul talks as “positive,” including the humanitarian exchange of deceased soldiers.

The Istanbul talks, held on June 2, led to a tentative agreement for mutual exchange of fallen soldiers’ bodies using a 6,000-for-6,000 framework. Ukraine and Russia also agreed on the exchange of wounded, seriously ill prisoners, and soldiers under the age of 25.

Subsequent prisoner exchanges took place on June 9, 11, 13, and 14, during which over 3,600 bodies were repatriated to Ukraine.

However, according to Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, Ukraine briefly paused the acceptance of bodies and prisoner exchanges on June 7. Still, the humanitarian effort resumed soon after, with multiple transfers carried out smoothly.

Russia has emphasized the importance of continuing these humanitarian efforts as part of broader negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire and reducing battlefield tensions.