Russian, Turkish ministers talk after Turkey sends Ukrainian commanders home

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with delegation of African leaders to discuss their proposal for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2023. Pavel Bednyakov/Host photo agency RIA Novosti via REUTERS

(Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey spoke by telephone on Sunday, a day after Ankara angered Moscow by sending five Ukrainian commanders home with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in what Russia called a violation of a prisoner exchange agreement.

The Russian and Turkish foreign ministries said Sergei Lavrov and Hakan Fidan discussed the situation in Ukraine, as well as a Black Sea grain export agreement that lifted a Russian de facto blockade of Ukrainian ports last year.