Overview
- National security chief Rustem Umerov announced the move after days of consultations to restart the swap mechanism.
- Ankara and Abu Dhabi facilitated the consultations that led both sides to return to the Istanbul framework.
- Officials said technical consultations will formalize procedures and logistics before transfers begin.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is counting on exchanges to resume and hopes returnees can be home for New Year and Christmas.
- There was no immediate comment from Moscow, while Kyiv notes thousands have been freed in exchanges since 2022.