Five Capitals Coordinate in Paris

Defense ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom met in Paris on Monday to coordinate support for Ukraine. French officials stated that the group would also address European defense capabilities and the conflict in the Middle East. This gathering follows a similar summit held in Berlin in June, where the five nations reaffirmed their commitment to Kyiv.

Military operations continued throughout the day. In southeastern Ukraine, Governor Mykhailo Semikin reported that four people were injured in a Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning. Ukraine's emergency service said two additional people were hurt in attacks on the Chernihiv region. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed its forces hit a power station and a warehouse in Kharkiv, as well as a power station in the Khmelnytskyi region. The ministry also said it targeted port infrastructure in Chornomorsk and a cargo vessel near Odesa.

A Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian city of Voronezh killed two people and wounded 17, according to regional Governor Alexander Gusev. Gusev stated on Telegram that many of the injured were aboard a commuter train in a left-bank suburb when drone debris fell on the vehicle. He noted that two of the injured were seriously wounded. The strike also ignited fires at several industrial businesses, a business center, and a residential building, though Gusev said industrial sites suffered no major damage.

The war entered its fifth year with escalating attacks on both sides. Ukraine has focused on Russian oil refineries, while Russian forces have maintained heavy air strikes on Ukrainian territory. In an interview aired on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would stop hitting Russian refineries only if Moscow ceases strikes on Ukraine's power infrastructure. He added that if Russian attacks on the grid continue, the United States should allow the use of Starshield over Russia or supply Patriot missiles.

Ukraine announced on Saturday that the Starlink satellite system and its military variant, Starshield, were fully functional again after more than a week of restrictions. The curbs had disrupted military operations and increased tensions with Washington. On the diplomatic front, negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November.