Ukraine, Russia swap prisoners, U.S. says 'work remains' to end war
The Hindu
Ukraine and Russia exchanged over 300 prisoners amid ongoing peace talks, while sub-zero temperatures challenge Kyiv’s energy supply.
Ukraine and Russia swapped over 300 prisoners following "productive" talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (February 5, 2026), as a U.S. mediator conceded that "significant" work lay ahead in the quest for a broader deal to end the war.
The negotiations are the latest bid in diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting -- Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, with hundreds of thousands killed, millions forced to flee their homes and much of eastern and southern Ukraine left decimated.
As talks were underway, large swathes of the Ukrainian capital were still without heating in sub-zero temperatures, after successive Russian strikes knocked out energy supplies to hundreds of apartment blocks in Kyiv.
Also Read | Russia bombards Ukraine with drones and missiles a day before planned peace talks
"Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners -- the first such exchange in five months," U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said on social media during the second day of talks in Abu Dhabi.
Russia's Defence Ministry later confirmed the two sides changed 157 prisoners each.
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