In brief
In a notable development during ongoing peace talks, Ukraine and Russia have successfully exchanged a total of 314 prisoners, with both sides hoping this could lead to further dialogue. Despite the swap, which included civilians and military personnel, progress on key peace agreement terms remains elusive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the desire for expedited results from the discussions.
Ukraine and Russia have conducted a rare exchange of prisoners of war and civilians after two days of US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi.
A total of 157 Ukrainians - seven of them civilians - and 157 Russian soldiers were returned home in the first such swap in four months.
Russian, Ukrainian and US teams took part in the talks in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with the main sticking points believed to be territorial concessions Ukraine is under pressure to make and security guarantees for it to prevent further Russian attacks if a deal is agreed to end the four-year war.
No breakthrough has been reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks had not been easy and he wanted faster results.
In a post on social media, Zelensky wrote that Thursday's prisoner exchange took place after a long pause - referring to the previous such swap last October.
He noted, We are returning our people home - 157 Ukrainians. Soldiers of the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Service. And civilians are also returning with the defenders. Most have been in captivity since 2012, pledging to bring back every single Ukrainian still in Russian captivity.
Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said 157 of its POWs were returned by Kyiv, along with three civilians claimed to have been illegally held in Ukraine.
The talks have highlighted a renewed urgency as Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine, targeting its energy infrastructure and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
