Rustam Umerov

Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustam Umerov, announced that he has had consultations with Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the resumption of the POW's exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.

In his post on social media, Umerov wrote, this would help to activate the agreements the two countries made during the direct talks in Istanbul.

Ukraine hopes to return home more than 1,000 people before Christmas.

The last prisoner exchange was in October.

So far, such swaps are the only progress Ukraine and Russia have achieved since their direct negotiations renewed in spring.

Polina Litvinova, NPR News, Kyiv.