KYIV – Ukraine is actively working towards restarting prisoner exchanges with Russia, aiming to secure the return of 1,200 Ukrainian captives, as announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday. This development follows a statement from Ukraine’s national security chief about advancements in the ongoing negotiations.

“We are hopeful about restarting the exchanges of prisoners of war,” Zelenskyy shared on the platform X. “Numerous meetings, negotiations, and calls are currently in progress to make this happen.”

Rustem Umerov, who serves as the Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, revealed on Saturday that he participated in discussions facilitated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates focused on reinstating the exchange process.

According to Umerov, the involved parties reached an agreement to reactivate the prisoner exchange deals established in Istanbul, which could lead to the release of 1,200 Ukrainians. As of now, Russia has not issued a comment regarding this development.

The protocols established in Istanbul in 2022, under Turkish mediation, outline the framework for large-scale and organized prisoner swaps. Since their inception, Ukraine and Russia have completed numerous exchanges, albeit inconsistently.

Umerov mentioned that upcoming technical discussions are planned to iron out the procedural and logistical aspects, expressing optimism that the freed Ukrainians can “celebrate the New Year and Christmas holidays at home — with their families and loved ones.”

In other developments, energy infrastructure was damaged by Russian drone strikes overnight into Sunday in Ukraine’s Odesa region, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. A solar power plant was among the damaged sites.

Ukraine is desperately trying to fend off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across Ukraine on the brink of winter.

Combined missile and drone strikes on the power grid have coincided with Ukraine’s efforts to hold back a Russian battlefield push aimed at capturing the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk.

Russia fired a total of 176 drones and one missile overnight, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday, adding that Ukrainian forces shot down or neutralized 139 drones.

Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday that its forces shot down 57 Ukrainian drones overnight.