Ukraine and Russia Agree to Exchange 314 Prisoners in War Negotiations

Описание: Ukraine and Russia have agreed to exchange more than 300 prisoners after what they described as "productive" talks in Abu Dhabi. However, US mediators acknowledged that significant work remains to be done to reach a broader agreement to end the war.

As reported by AFP on Thursday (February 5, 2026), these negotiations are the latest diplomatic effort to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions, and devastated large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Amid the ongoing talks, much of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, remains without heating amid sub-zero temperatures. This comes after successive Russian attacks knocked out power to hundreds of apartment blocks in the city.

"Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, the first exchange in five months," US envoy Steve Witkoff said via social media on the second day of talks in Abu Dhabi.

The Russian Defense Ministry later confirmed the exchange, saying each side exchanged 157 prisoners. While Witkoff described the negotiations as "detailed and productive," he downplayed expectations of a quick breakthrough.
"There's still a lot of work to be done," Witkoff said.

Earlier on Wednesday (February 4), Kyiv also described the first day of talks as "substantive and productive." Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev echoed this assessment.

"There is definitely progress, everything is moving forward in a good and positive direction," Dmitriev said.

However, there has been no update on the key territorial issue. There are no signs of concessions from Moscow, which came to the negotiating table refusing to compromise on its core demands.

The Russian envoy also condemned what he called attempts by European countries to "disrupt progress" without elaborating.

In an official statement on Wednesday (February 4), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. This figure is lower than many independent estimates.

Meanwhile, Russia has not released its military casualty figures. A BBC investigation and family announcements conducted in conjunction with independent media outlet Mediazona revealed more than 160,000 Russian soldiers died in the conflict.

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