Ukraine, Russia swap prisoners in rare breakthrough at Abu Dhabi talks

Ukraine and Russia carried out a large-scale prisoner exchange on Thursday, agreeing to swap 314 prisoners of war during U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, marking one of the most significant humanitarian developments between the two sides in months.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed the agreement, as both governments announced that each side released 157 detainees. 

Russia’s Defense Ministry said 157 Russian servicemen were returned from Ukrainian-held territory, while Moscow transferred 157 Ukrainian prisoners of war to Kyiv. The exchange also included the return of three Russian civilians from the Kursk region, according to Russian officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the deal, describing it as a critical step after a prolonged halt in exchanges. Ukrainian officials said the group included both soldiers and civilians, some of whom had been illegally convicted by Russian courts, including individuals serving life sentences.

The United States and the United Arab Emirates acted as key mediators, highlighting the reliance on third parties to sustain limited cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow amid the ongoing war. International observers noted that prisoner swaps remain one of the few functioning channels of direct engagement between the two countries.

The exchange came alongside continued U.S.-led discussions in Abu Dhabi aimed at exploring options to end the conflict. While the talks did not yield a broader diplomatic breakthrough, the prisoner swap stood out as a rare concrete outcome. Witkoff cautioned that substantial gaps remain between the sides, underscoring the challenges facing any future peace effort.