Paris talks open as drone strike on Voronezh train kills two
Leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the UK convene while the war enters its fifth year with intensified strikes on infrastructure.
By Kevin Iyer ·
Defence ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom opened a meeting in Paris on Monday to discuss further aid for Ukraine. The gathering follows a June summit in Berlin where the five nations reaffirmed their support for Kyiv. The ministers are also expected to address European defence strategy and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Combat intensified while the diplomats prepared for talks. A Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine injured four people on Monday morning, regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin said. Ukraine's emergency service reported on Telegram that two additional people were hurt in strikes on the Chernihiv region.
Russia's Ministry of Defence stated that its forces struck a power station and a nearby warehouse in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. The ministry said it also targeted a power station in the Khmelnytskyi region, port infrastructure in Chornomorsk, and a cargo vessel heading for Odesa that it claimed was used for military purposes.
On the Russian side, a Ukrainian drone attack on Voronezh killed two people and wounded 17, according to regional Governor Alexander Gusev. He said on Telegram that many of the injured were aboard a commuter train in a left-bank suburb when drone debris struck it. Gusev noted that two people were seriously wounded on the moving train. The attack also started fires at several industrial businesses, a business centre, and a residential building, though he reported no significant damage at the industrial sites.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Sunday interview that Kyiv would stop hitting Russian oil refineries only if Moscow halts strikes on Ukraine's power infrastructure. He stated that if Russian attacks on the grid continue, the United States should allow the use of Starshield over Russia to detect missile launch sites or supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles. Zelenskyy made these remarks after Ukraine confirmed on Saturday that the Starlink and Starshield satellite systems were fully functional again following a week of restrictions.
The war has entered its fifth year with escalating attacks on both sides. Ukraine has targeted Russian oil refineries, while Russian forces have maintained heavy air strikes on Ukrainian territory. Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are expected to meet in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November.
