Paris Talks Begin as Ukraine War Enters Fifth Year

Defense ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom gathered in Paris on Monday to coordinate additional support for Ukraine. The meeting marks the second high-level session for this group, following a June gathering in Berlin where the five nations pledged continued backing for Kyiv. Officials said the agenda also includes a review of broader European defense strategies and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Fighting intensified during the talks. Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine on Monday morning, injuring four people, according to regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin. Emergency services reported two additional injuries in the Chernihiv region. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces targeted power stations in Kharkiv and the Khmelnytskyi region, along with a warehouse and port infrastructure in Chornomorsk. A cargo vessel heading for Odesa was also hit; Moscow claimed the ship was being used for military purposes.

Ukrainian drones struck Voronezh on the Russian side, killing two people and wounding 17. Governor Alexander Gusev said many of the injured were aboard a commuter train in a left-bank suburb when drone debris fell. The attack ignited fires at several industrial businesses, a business center, and a residential building. Gusev noted that the industrial sites sustained no major structural damage.

The war entered its fifth year with escalating exchanges on both fronts. Ukraine has focused on Russian oil refineries, while Russia continues heavy air strikes on Ukrainian territory. In a Sunday interview, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would cease targeting refineries only if Moscow stops striking Ukraine's power grid. He proposed that the United States allow Starshield satellites to detect Russian missile launch sites or provide Patriot missile systems if grid attacks continue.

Ukraine announced on Saturday that the Starlink and Starshield systems are fully operational after a week of restrictions. The temporary curbs disrupted military operations and heightened tensions with Washington. Diplomatic efforts continue separately, with negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November.