The ongoing discussions between the delegations of United States, Ukraine, and Russia have resulted in a preliminary agreement to exchange 314 prisoners, as revealed by Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. He anticipated that the talks will continue, and further progress could be made in the coming weeks.
Prior to Thursday's meeting, Kirill Dmitriev, one of Vladimir Putin's envoys, stated, "There is definitely progress, things are moving in a good and positive direction."
Meanwhile, as negotiations continue, Russia has launched a total of 183 long-range drones towards Ukrainian territory, including 110 kamikaze Shahed drones. One of the attacks hit railway infrastructure in the Sumy region.
US, Ukraine, and Russia agree to exchange 314 prisoners
Delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia have reached an agreement to exchange 314 prisoners, as announced on Thursday by Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump.
In a message posted on the X social network, Witkoff stated that discussions between the parties will continue, with the anticipation of further progress in the coming weeks.
"Discussions will continue, with additional progress expected in the coming weeks," wrote the US envoy.
The announcement comes amidst broader diplomatic contacts between the parties, although no details were provided on when or how the agreed prisoner exchange will take place.
Ukraine attacks infrastructure at a Russian missile launch site
The Ukrainian army reported on Thursday that in January, they carried out a series of "successful" attacks on facilities linked to a Russian site for launching intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
According to a statement from the General Staff of Ukraine, the impacts caused damage to several buildings and significantly affected a hangar at the Kapustin Yar test site near the Caspian Sea. As a result, some personnel at the site were evacuated, although Ukrainian authorities did not specify the exact dates of the attacks.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that they used their long-range capabilities to execute the operation, including the use of the Ukrainian-made Flamingo missile. The statement did not detail the total extent of the damage or the potential strategic implications of the offensive. Russia has not officially confirmed the attack or provided an assessment of its consequences. Reuters reports.
Donald Tusk arrives in Kiev to meet with Zelensky
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived in Kiev on Thursday morning by train to reaffirm his support for Ukraine and meet with the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
"An important visit from a true friend," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga on X upon Tusk's arrival, a visit also confirmed by the office of the Polish Prime Minister.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister added that Poland is "a leader in supporting Ukraine" and highlighted the assistance provided by Poland this year to mitigate the consequences of Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, leaving millions of people in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities without electricity, heating, and running water for days. Efe reports.
"Massive" attack on the railway in Sumy
Russia carried out a "massive" drone attack on railway infrastructure in the northern Ukrainian region of Sumy, as reported by Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba.
"The enemy is trying to disrupt train traffic," said Kuleba, describing the attack as "another act of terrorism" against Ukrainian logistics, as reported by Reuters.
Russia launches 183 drones against Ukraine
Russia launched a total of 183 long-range drones, including 110 Shahed kamikaze drones, towards Ukrainian territory between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, as reported in the latest update by the Ukrainian Air Force. Of the total drones, 156 were neutralized by Ukrainian air defenses.
The report also explains that 22 of the attack drones launched by Russia hit 16 unspecified locations in different parts of Ukraine. Fragments of intercepted drones fell in seven other locations, according to the Air Force report. Efe reports
Ukraine and Russia continue their peace negotiations on Thursday in the presence of US representatives in Abu Dhabi. "The second day of discussions has begun. We are working in the same formats as yesterday: trilateral consultations, group work, and subsequent alignment of positions," stated the main Ukrainian negotiator, Rustem Umerov.
At the end of Wednesday's round of talks, Kiev indicated that the negotiations were "substantial and productive," although there was no apparent progress, except for a new prisoner exchange "in the near future," according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"There is definitely progress"
Russia stated on Thursday that there has been "progress" in the talks with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the nearly four-year war, which began with the Russian invasion in 2022. "There is definitely progress, things are moving in a good and positive direction," said Moscow's negotiator Kirill Dmitriev to state media at the start of the second day of talks in the United Arab Emirates between Russian, Ukrainian, and American representatives.
He also criticized what he described as attempts by European nations to "disrupt the progress."