Paris talks resume as drones hit trains and refineries

Defence ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom convened in Paris on Monday to discuss the next steps for European security. French officials confirmed the meeting would focus on further aid for Ukraine, while also addressing the wider state of European defence and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This gathering marks the second such summit for the group, following a June session in Berlin where the five nations pledged continued backing for Kyiv to signal that Europe remains aligned against Moscow.

Combat intensified while the diplomats prepared for talks. In southeastern Ukraine, a Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia injured four people, according to regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin. Ukrainian emergency services reported that two additional people were hurt by Russian strikes in the Chernihiv region. Russian defence authorities detailed further attacks, claiming hits on a power station and a warehouse in Kharkiv, a power station in the Khmelnytskyi region, and port infrastructure in Chornomorsk. Russian forces also targeted a cargo vessel bound for Odesa, which they said was being used for military purposes.

On the Russian side, a Ukrainian drone attack struck Voronezh, killing two people and wounding 17, according to regional Governor Alexander Gusev. Gusev stated that many of the injured were riding a commuter train in a left-bank suburb when debris from the drone fell on the carriages. He noted that the attack also ignited fires at several industrial businesses, a business centre, and a residential building, though he reported no major damage at the industrial sites. The governor emphasized that a significant number of the injured, including two in serious condition, were on the moving train.

The war has entered its fifth year, with both sides escalating their targeting of critical infrastructure. Ukraine has focused its efforts on Russian oil refineries, while Russian forces have maintained heavy air strikes on Ukrainian territory. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined a conditional strategy in an interview aired on Sunday, stating that Kyiv would cease hitting Russian refineries only if Moscow stops striking Ukraine's power grid. He argued that if Russian attacks continue, the United States should either allow the Starshield system to detect missile launch sites over Russia or supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles.

Technical tensions between Kyiv and Washington eased slightly this week. Ukraine announced on Saturday that the Starlink satellite system and its military variant, Starshield, were fully operational again after a week of restrictions that disrupted military operations. These technical issues had added friction to the relationship with Washington. On the diplomatic front, negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during the first half of November.