Many Russian soldiers say they would see a cease-fire along the current front lines as a failure, hinting at the nationalist discontent the Kremlin could face in accepting a cease-fire.

Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each during peace talks held in Istanbul on Friday, in what would be the biggest prisoner swap of the conflict. The negotiations, which lasted less than two hours and were mediated by Turkey, marked the first time the nations have engaged in direct peace talks since the war began.

Ukraine and Russia have agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each after the first face-to-face talks in three years The date for the transfer has been set, but is not being made public, Ukraine's defence minister says Ukraine also requested direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin - Moscow says it "noted" this request