ISTANBUL, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Russian and Ukrainian delegations held a third round of peace talks here on Wednesday at the Ciragan Palace, which started at 8:30 p.m. local time (1730 GMT) and lasted nearly one and a half hours.

Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov led the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, respectively, whereas Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, accompanied by Ibrahim Kalin, head of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization, led the talks.

After the talks, Medinsky told reporters that the Russian side proposed establishing three online working groups with Ukraine to address political, humanitarian, and military issues.

He also said that the two sides have agreed on another round of prisoner exchange.

In his opening remarks to the talks, Fidan urged the two delegations to engage in result-oriented negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire and ultimately ending the war.

"Our goal is to end this bloody war, which has come at a heavy cost, as soon as possible," Fidan said.

While the previous two rounds of talks in Istanbul -- held on May 16 and June 2 -- led to the exchange of thousands of war prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers, they produced little progress toward a ceasefire. ■