Ukraine Seeks Major Prisoner Swap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv expects a large-scale prisoner exchange with Russia, potentially involving more than 1,000 people from each side. In an address on Nov. 13, he said Ukrainian and American teams, intelligence agencies and the Coordination Headquarters were working on preparations for the swap.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had agreed on next steps with U.S. envoys, including efforts toward peace and security guarantees. He also cited discussions with European leaders and said Kyiv was seeking further progress on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.

The president said Denmark had announced a €645 million defense package for Ukraine, including additional ammunition for F-16 fighter jets and energy assistance. He also said Britain and Ukraine had discussed additional sanctions against Russia over the war.

Zelenskyy further criticized continuing speed restrictions affecting Starshield services along the front line and in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. He said the restrictions hinder Ukraine’s ability to counter drones and called for the service to be restored.

The address also focused on power outages in Bila Tserkva and Brovary, where residents reportedly went without electricity for several days. Zelenskyy ordered officials to address failures in municipal services and said the government was coordinating with mayors across Ukraine on energy security, air defense and internal security.