Ukraine and Russia swapped more than 300 prisoners after “productive” talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (Feb 5, 2026), as a US mediator acknowledged “significant” work ahead in pursuit of a broad agreement to end the war.
The talks are the latest bid in diplomatic efforts to end the fighting — Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, which has killed hundreds of thousands, forced millions to flee their homes and destroyed much of eastern and southern Ukraine.
As talks continue, large swaths of the Ukrainian capital remain unheated in sub-zero temperatures after a series of Russian strikes knocked out power 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,” US Ambassador Steve Witkoff said on social media during the second day of talks in Abu Dhabi.
Russia’s Defense Ministry later confirmed that the two sides had exchanged 157 prisoners each.
Mr. While Wittkoff described the talks as “detailed and productive,” he dimmed hopes for progress, saying “significant work remains.”
On Wednesday (February 4), Kyiv described the first day of talks as “substantial and productive”.
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev also said the talks were going well. “There is definitely progress, things are moving in a good, positive direction,” he said.
But there was no update from either side on the disputed issue of territory, or any sign of concessions from Moscow, which entered the talks refusing to compromise on its key demands.
The Russian ambassador also criticized attempts by European countries to “obstruct progress” without elaborating.
In a rare official admission of battlefield losses, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday (4 February) that at least 55,000 of his country’s soldiers had been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022 – lower than many independent estimates.
Russia has not disclosed how many of its soldiers were killed. Tracking of his obituary and family publications BBC And the independent Mediazona outlet has uncovered the names of more than 160,000 Russian soldiers killed in the conflict.
‘Concrete Stairs’
Ahead of the two-day talks, Russia launched its latest massive attack on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure, leaving many without power and shivering in temperatures as low as -20C.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Wednesday (4 February) that “concrete steps and practical solutions” were discussed on the first day of talks.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that fighting would continue “until the Kyiv regime takes appropriate decisions.”
The long-term fate of territory in eastern Ukraine is the main sticking point in the negotiations.
Before any deal, Moscow is demanding that Kyiv withdraw its troops from Donbass.
It also wants international recognition that the land seized in the invasion belongs to Russia.
‘Keep the pressure’
Kyiv has said the conflict on the current front should be frozen and rejected a pull-back of troops.
The talks in Abu Dhabi are the second round of trilateral talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump has been urging both sides to negotiate an end to the war since returning to office, boasting that he could reach a deal within hours.
Mr Zelensky said the US president’s role was crucial, telling French television that “Putin is only afraid of Trump” in an interview broadcast on Wednesday (Feb 5, 2026).
While Mr Trump could use economic sanctions against Russia or transfer arms to Ukraine to “keep this pressure on Putin”, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv would not compromise on sovereignty.
Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine. It claims Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions as its own, and has pockets of territory in at least three other Ukrainian regions in the east.
Kyiv still controls about a fifth of the Donetsk region, which Moscow has been demanding it withdraw. Ukraine warned that the ceding ground would embolden Moscow and not sign a failed deal to prevent Russia from invading again.
