Ukraine and Russia have conducted a rare exchange of prisoners of war and civilians after two days of US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi.
A total of 157 Ukrainians - seven of them civilians - and 157 Russian soldiers were returned home in the first such swap in four months.
Russian, Ukrainian and US teams took part in the talks in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with the main sticking points believed to be territorial concessions Ukraine is under pressure to make and security guarantees for it to prevent further Russian attacks if a deal is agreed to end the four-year war.
No breakthrough has been reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks had not been easy and he wanted faster results.
In a post on social media, Zelensky wrote that Thursday's prisoner exchange took place after a long pause - referring to the previous such swap last October.
Russian officials noted that three civilians, described as illegally held, were also returned to Russia. The ministry added that 157 of its POWs were returned by Kyiv, which included soldiers and civilians, both of whom had been held since 2022.
The discussions in Abu Dhabi are part of efforts led by US President Donald Trump to end the ongoing conflict. Special envoy Steve Witkoff has indicated that while the talks have been detailed and productive, significant work remains, particularly on contentious issues such as territory and security guarantees for Ukraine.
