• Ukraine is negotiating for the exchange of 1,200 prisoners with Russia.
• Consultations are being mediated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
• Prisoner exchange agreements from 2022 are set to be activated again.
• Technical details are expected to be finalized soon.
• Ukrainians hope to return home for the New Year and Christmas holidays.

Ukraine is actively seeking to resume negotiations with Russia for the exchange of 1,200 Ukrainian prisoners. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that "many meetings, negotiations, and calls" are currently taking place to facilitate this process. The Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, Rustem Umerov, indicated that consultations with Turkey and the UAE have led to an agreement to activate existing prisoner exchange protocols established in Istanbul in 2022, yet no immediate comment from Moscow has been provided on the issue. This is crucial as these exchanges have been the only significant advancement in negotiations amid the ongoing conflict, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, CBS News, and Al Jazeera.

Umerov has expressed hope that technical consultations will be held soon to finalize the procedural and organizational details of the exchange, allowing for the potential return of these prisoners in time for the New Year and Christmas holidays. He emphasized the urgency of these discussions, stating that returning home to celebrate with loved ones is a priority for those involved in the negotiation process. This sentiment aligns with the broader context of the war, where prisoner exchanges have provided a glimpse of progress amid ongoing hostilities, as noted by Reuters, South China Morning Post, CBS News, and Al Jazeera.

In addition to the discussions surrounding the prisoner exchanges, ongoing military actions continue to define the conflict. Reports indicate that Russian drone strikes recently caused damage to energy infrastructure in Ukraine, particularly affecting regions like Odesa. As Ukraine braces for winter, this escalation has raised concerns about the resilience of its power grid, exacerbating challenges amid intensified aerial attacks. The air force stated that Ukrainian defenses successfully intercepted a significant number of drones and missiles during recent assaults, as detailed by Reuters, South China Morning Post, CBS News, and Al Jazeera.