Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he hopes that 72 Ukrainian citizens would be able to return home before the end of this year as part of an exchange of captives agreed in Paris.

"To be honest, 'all for all' is an abstract question. We have agreed that [an exchange of] all identified persons for all identified persons will be the first stage of the 'all for all' exchange," Zelensky said at an overnight press briefing in Paris.

"Let's take the first step – a big one, because 72 people could return home," he said.

"I'd like this to happen before the end of this year," the Ukrainian president said.