Ukraine is actively negotiating a major prisoner exchange with Russia that could return 1,200 Ukrainian captives, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, following progress reported by his national security chief.
Zelenskyy confirmed on X that multiple meetings, calls, and negotiations are ongoing to ensure the resumption of prisoner-of-war swaps. He expressed hope that many Ukrainians could reunite with families for the holidays.
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Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said consultations were mediated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to activate Istanbul-brokered agreements from 2022, which govern large, coordinated exchanges.
Technical talks are expected soon to finalize procedural and organizational details. Umerov emphasized the importance of celebrating the New Year and Christmas at home with relatives, highlighting the humanitarian dimension of the swap.
Read more : Russia launches massive airstrike, kills four in Ukraine
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to face Russian aerial attacks. Overnight strikes targeted energy infrastructure in the Odesa region, damaging a solar power plant and causing rolling blackouts as winter approaches.
Ukrainian forces also carried out counterstrikes, hitting an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region and a drone storage warehouse in Russian-held Donetsk. Russia claimed to have shot down 57 Ukrainian drones, illustrating the intensifying tit-for-tat military escalation.