After intensive peace talks mediated by the United States in Abu Dhabi, U.S. special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff posted new details Thursday about a major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, announcing that the two countries agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war.
Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy for peace missions, took to the social media platform X early on Thursday to share the latest details. He said the agreement to exchange 314 prisoners came out of peace negotiations he described as "detailed and productive."
He added that "While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine."
Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners—the first such exchange in five months.
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) February 5, 2026
This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive. While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate…
According to Witkoff's post, the agreement reached in Abu Dhabi is the first prisoner swap of this scale since late 2025. He noted that ongoing discussions among the U.S., Ukrainian, and Russian delegations will continue, with further progress anticipated in the coming weeks. He also thanked the United Arab Emirates for hosting the talks and cited President Trump's leadership in facilitating the negotiations.
According to the BBC, the terms of the agreement specify that both Russia and Ukraine will release 157 prisoners of war each, split evenly between the sides, totaling 314. The swap took place shortly after the conclusion of the second day of trilateral talks in the UAE capital.
Ukrainian officials confirmed that the released soldiers have already returned to Ukrainian territory. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted a video of Ukrainian soldiers leaving a bus to be greeted by their loved ones on his social media.
Video released by the Russian Defense Ministry showed freed prisoners draped in Russian flags boarding a bus in Belarus, a Russian ally bordering both countries, underscoring the logistical scale of the swap.
In a video posted to his social media, Zelenskyy welcomed the exchange, calling it "crucial," especially after a long period without such swaps. He further said in the video that, "The most important thing is that there was a prisoner exchange, and 157 of our people have returned home from Russian captivity... On Ukraine's part, we are doing everything to ensure the exchanges."
Today, I received a report from our negotiating team following two days of meetings and talks in the Emirates — with the American side and with the Russian side. I am expecting the team in Kyiv for a full in-person report, as many aspects cannot be properly discussed over the… pic.twitter.com/bKwzDOGJdd
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 5, 2026
Despite the breakthrough on prisoner exchanges, the talks in the UAE did not yield a cease-fire or a comprehensive peace deal. Reporting from Reuters notes that Ukrainian and Russian negotiators continue to disagree over territorial control and the future status of contested regions in eastern Ukraine. However, Witkoff finished his statement by writing, "Discussions will continue, with additional progress anticipated in the coming weeks."
Originally published on IBTimes
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