Zelenskyy Pushes to Revive Ukraine–Russia Prisoner Exchange, Targets 1,200 POW Releases
Ukraine negotiates massive prisoner exchange with Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that Ukraine is actively working to resume prisoner exchanges with Russia, targeting the release of 1,200 Ukrainian prisoners of war. He highlighted the intensity of behind-the-scenes efforts, including a series of high-level meetings, detailed negotiations, and urgent diplomatic calls aimed at breaking the deadlock. The update, shared via his post on X, reflects growing urgency to address humanitarian issues amid the prolonged conflict and follows previous interruptions in the exchange process.
Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, disclosed on Saturday that significant headway was achieved in talks mediated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The agreement focuses on reactivating the 2022 Istanbul prisoner-exchange protocols, originally brokered with Turkish facilitation to enable structured, large-scale releases. These frameworks have previously allowed for the swap of thousands of prisoners, though exchanges have occurred irregularly due to ongoing tensions; Russia has yet to provide an official response to the latest claims.
Umerov further explained that upcoming technical consultations will address critical procedural and logistical elements, such as compiling verified prisoner lists, coordinating safe transport, and involving neutral observers like the International Red Cross. He voiced optimism about accelerating the timeline, hoping the freed Ukrainians can return in time to join their families for the New Year and Christmas holidays, offering a rare moment of relief in an otherwise grueling war.
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In parallel developments, Russian drone strikes overnight into Sunday caused damage to vital energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region, with a solar power plant among the targeted sites, as reported by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. The Ukrainian air force detailed that 139 out of 176 drones and one missile were intercepted or neutralized, while Russia’s defense ministry asserted it downed 57 Ukrainian drones during the same period, underscoring the escalating aerial confrontations.
These persistent attacks are aggravating widespread rolling blackouts throughout Ukraine just as winter sets in, compounding civilian hardships and coinciding with intense defensive operations to halt Russian ground advances toward the strategically important eastern city of Pokrovsk. The intersection of infrastructure assaults and battlefield pressures illustrates the multifaceted challenges facing Ukraine on multiple fronts.
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