Poland’s overseas minister has recommended that NATO states should take into account imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine to protect the alliance’s territory and other people from Russian drones.
Radoslaw Sikorski’s remarks observe an intrusion final week by Russian drones into Polish airspace. NATO fighter jets and air defenses shot down the drones, which weren’t armed.
Speaking about extending such missions to Ukrainian airspace, Sikorski informed the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine: “We as NATO and the EU could be capable of doing this, but it is not a decision that Poland can make alone; it can only be made with its allies.”
“Protection for our inhabitants – for instance, from falling particles – would naturally be better if we may fight drones and different flying objects past our nationwide territory.
“If Ukraine were to ask us to shoot them down over its territory, that would be advantageous for us. If you ask me personally, we should consider it,” Sikorski added.
A Ukrainian no-fly zone, which was promoted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly after the then full-scale Russian invasion, was mentioned by NATO allies in the course of the Biden administration in 2022 however rejected for concern that direct confrontation with Russian fight planes may broaden the conflict.
Sikorski’s present proposal seems to be restricted to coping with Russian drones approaching Ukraine’s borders with NATO states.
A complete of 16 drones had been discovered all through the nation after final Wednesday’s incursion, Poland’s inside ministry mentioned. Polish and Dutch jets intercepted the drones, with help from Italian, German and NATO’s multinational forces, officers mentioned.
Sikorski informed Frankfurter Allgemeine that it was no coincidence that so many drones had immediately appeared over Poland.
“Our air force repelled the threat for seven hours. So far, we have heard two explanations from the Russian government: that the drones accidentally flew over the border and that it is impossible for Russian drones to fly that far at all.”
Russia’s protection ministry mentioned final week that it had carried out a strike against Ukraine in a single day into Wednesday. It mentioned that “no targets on the territory of Poland were planned for destruction,” and that the drones it utilized in Ukraine have a flight vary of not more than 700 kilometers (435 miles).
In addition to the intrusion into Poland, simply days later Romania scrambled fighter jets after a Russian drone breached its airspace on Saturday.