Five European Defence Ministers Meet in Paris as Ukraine War Marks Fifth Year
France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the UK convene to discuss military aid and regional defense while strikes continue on both sides of the border.
By Fatou Kim ·
Defence ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom gathered in Paris on Monday to coordinate further support for Ukraine. The meeting marks the second session for this specific group, following a similar summit held in Berlin in June where the five nations reaffirmed their commitment to Kyiv.
The talks come as the war enters its fifth year, with escalating attacks on both sides of the conflict. French officials stated that the ministers are also expected to address European defence capabilities and the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
Russian forces continued their air campaign while the ministers were in session. Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine was hit on Monday morning, leaving four people injured according to regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin. Ukraine's emergency service reported on Telegram that two additional people were hurt in strikes on the Chernihiv region.
The Russian Ministry of Defence announced that its forces struck a power station in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, along with a nearby warehouse. The ministry said it also targeted a power station in the Khmelnytskyi region, port infrastructure in Chornomorsk, and a cargo vessel bound for Odesa that it claimed was being used for military purposes.
Ukrainian drones hit Voronezh on the Russian side, killing two people and wounding 17, according to regional Governor Alexander Gusev. Gusev said on Telegram that many of the injured were on a commuter train in a left-bank suburb when debris fell from a drone. He noted that the attack started fires at industrial businesses, a central business centre, and a residential building, though he described damage at the industrial sites as minor.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told interviewers on Sunday that Kyiv would halt strikes on Russian oil refineries only if Moscow stops attacking Ukraine's power infrastructure. He argued that if grid attacks continue, the United States should allow Starshield to be used over Russia to detect missile launches or supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles. Ukraine announced on Saturday that the Starlink and Starshield systems were fully functional again after a week of restrictions that disrupted military operations.
Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November.
