Ukraine has announced that it is ready to exchange 1,200 prisoners with Russia as part of ongoing efforts to secure the return of its captured soldiers and civilians.
The update was shared after President Volodymyr Zelensky met frontline commanders in the Zaporizhzhia region on November 13, where fighting remains intense. Zelensky said Ukraine has prepared a list of 1,200 Russian prisoners it is willing to trade, and now waits for Russia to respond.
The proposed exchange is based on the Istanbul agreements, a set of prisoner-exchange rules brokered with the help of Turkey in 2022. The agreements were created to support large, coordinated swaps between the two countries amid the ongoing war.
Ukraine says that prisoner exchanges are a vital humanitarian step, especially as thousands of soldiers from both sides remain in captivity. However, recent negotiations have been slow, with each side accusing the other of blocking progress.
Zelensky emphasized that bringing Ukrainian defenders home remains a top priority for his government.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, now in its third year, continues to cause heavy casualties and displacement, especially in frontline regions such as Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia.
Turkey and other international partners are expected to continue pushing for dialogue to ensure the prisoner swap takes place.
