Five European Nations Meet in Paris as Drone Kills Two in Voronezh

Two people died and 17 were injured when a Ukrainian drone struck a commuter train in Voronezh, Russia, on Sunday. Regional Governor Alexander Gusev stated that many of the casualties were aboard the train in a left-bank suburb when debris fell on the vehicle. He noted that two of the injured were in serious condition. The attack also ignited fires at several industrial businesses, a business center in the city center, and a residential building. Gusev said the industrial sites sustained no major damage.

The strike occurred as defense ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom gathered in Paris on Monday. French officials confirmed the five nations are meeting to discuss further support for Ukraine. The group is also expected to review European defense capabilities and the conflict in the Middle East. This follows a similar meeting in Berlin in June, where the five countries pledged continued backing for Kyiv to signal to Moscow that Europe remains committed to Ukraine.

Fighting continued in Ukraine while the ministers met. Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning, injuring four people, according to regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin. Ukraine's emergency service reported that two more people were hurt in strikes on the Chernihiv region. Russia's Ministry of Defence said its forces targeted a power station and a nearby warehouse in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. The ministry also claimed it hit a power station in the Khmelnytskyi region, port infrastructure in Chornomorsk, and a cargo vessel near Odesa that it said was being used for military purposes.

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. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Kyiv would stop hitting Russian oil refineries if Moscow stops striking Ukraine's power infrastructure. He stated this demand aligns with requests from US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy added that if Russian attacks on the grid continue, the United States should allow Starshield to be used over Russia to detect missile launch sites or supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles.

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