Ukraine and Russia have carried out a rare exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians following two days of US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, marking the first swap in four months.
A total of 157 Ukrainians—including seven civilians—and 157 Russian soldiers were returned to their respective countries. The talks involved Russian, Ukrainian, and US delegations, with territorial concessions and security guarantees believed to be the main sticking points in ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the four-year war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the difficulty of the discussions and called for “faster results.” In a social media post, he stated that Thursday’s exchange “took place after a long pause,” referring to the last prisoner swap in October 2025.
“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,” Zelensky wrote, pledging to bring back all Ukrainians still held in Russian captivity. Officials reported that 139 had been detained since 2022.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that 157 of its POWs were returned by Kyiv and added that three Russian civilians “illegally held” were also handed back. These individuals were residents of the western Kursk region, parts of which had been occupied by Ukraine during its 2024–25 incursion.
The Abu Dhabi talks, part of US efforts to mediate an end to the conflict, were led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and former US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Witkoff described the negotiations as “detailed and productive” but noted that “significant work remains.”
The most contentious issues include Russia’s demand that Ukraine cede the remainder of the eastern Donbas region under Kyiv’s control, and Kyiv’s insistence on robust security guarantees from the US and European allies.
The trilateral negotiations began amid renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine after a week-long pause, initially requested by Trump. Moscow has targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving thousands without electricity, heating, and water in freezing winter conditions.
