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. 'We are returning our people home - 157 Ukrainians. Soldiers of the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Service. And civilians are also returning with the defenders. Most have been in captivity since 2012,' the Ukrainian president said, pledging to bring back every single Ukrainian still in Russian captivity.

Ukrainian officials stated that 139 of those exchanged had been in Russian captivity since 2022. Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry noted that its 157 POWs were also returned by Kyiv, adding that three Russian civilians who were 'illegally held' were handed back as well.

It was reported that the talks in Abu Dhabi are part of US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war, continuing with significant participation from special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. However, despite 'detailed and productive' discussions, both sides remain divided over critical issues, particularly concerning territorial claims, security guarantees, and ongoing military aggression from Russia.

As the trilateral talks take place, Russia has intensified its military operations against Ukraine, targeting its energy sector amid extreme winter conditions.