Two dead in Voronezh as five nations meet in Paris

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has entered its fifth year of sustained combat. Defence ministers from five European nations gathered in Paris on Monday to assess military support for Kyiv and coordinate their own security strategies.

The group, consisting of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, follows a similar summit held in Berlin in June. At that time, the five countries pledged continued backing for Ukraine to signal their commitment to Moscow. The Paris meeting also addresses the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Hostilities continued in the region on the same day the ministers met. Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine on Monday morning, injuring four people, according to Regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin. Ukraine's emergency service reported that two additional people were hurt in strikes on the Chernihiv region.

Russian Defence Ministry officials stated that their forces targeted a power station and a nearby warehouse in Kharkiv, as well as a power station in the Khmelnytskyi region. The ministry also reported strikes on port infrastructure in Chornomorsk and a cargo vessel near Odesa that it claimed was being used for military purposes.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack on Voronezh killed two people and wounded 17, Regional Governor Alexander Gusev said. The impact occurred in a left-bank suburb, where debris from the drone struck a moving commuter train. Gusev noted on Telegram that a substantial number of the injured, including two in serious condition, were aboard the train. The attack also ignited fires at several industrial businesses, a business centre in the city centre, and a residential building.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined conditions for pausing Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries in an interview aired on Sunday. He stated that Kyiv would halt those attacks only if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine's power infrastructure. Zelenskyy added that the United States should either permit the use of Starshield over Russia to detect missile launch sites or supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles.

Ukrainian officials confirmed on Saturday that the Starlink and Starshield satellite systems are fully functional again after a week of restrictions. Separately, negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November.