Russia and Ukraine have agreed in principle to a large prisoner-of-war exchange during U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, officials said Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said negotiators discussed possible exchanges involving 1,000 or 1,500 people from each side, but no final number or date has been announced.

What officials have confirmed

The agreement emerged from the first day of trilateral discussions among Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. representatives. The Associated Press reported that officials at the talks described the arrangement as a large exchange. Zelenskyy later said the sides had discussed possible scales of 1,000-for-1,000 or 1,500-for-1,500, while details remained unresolved.

Those figures are options under discussion, not a confirmed exchange list. Officials have not specified when a transfer would take place, which groups of detainees would be included or whether the proposal has received final approval from both governments.

A humanitarian step, not a peace deal

Prisoner exchanges have been among the few concrete areas where Moscow and Kyiv have previously reached agreements during the war. The current talks also addressed broader humanitarian issues, including the return of civilians held in captivity and Ukrainian children taken to Russia, according to officials cited by the AP.

The announced exchange does not amount to a ceasefire or a settlement of the war. The delegations have not announced an agreement on territory, security guarantees or a halt to fighting. Reuters reported that the Abu Dhabi meetings continued into a second day on Wednesday, with no broader breakthrough reported alongside the prisoner-exchange understanding.

What happens next

The next meaningful milestone will be confirmation of the exchange’s size, timetable and eligibility terms by both sides. Until then, the agreement remains a significant but incomplete humanitarian outcome from talks that have not produced a wider political settlement.

For background, read our earlier report on the U.S.-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi.

Sources

Associated Press: Russia and Ukraine agree to a large exchange of prisoners of war; Ukrainska Pravda: Major prisoner swap agreed during trilateral talks; Reuters: U.S., Russia and Ukraine start second day of Abu Dhabi peace talks.