NATO should impose no-fly zone over Ukraine to protect against Russian drones, Poland says

By Tim Lister, CNN

(CNN) — Poland’s foreign minister has suggested that NATO states should consider imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine to protect the alliance’s territory and people from Russian drones.

Radoslaw Sikorski’s remarks follow an intrusion last week by Russian drones into Polish airspace. NATO fighter jets and air defenses shot down the drones, which were not armed.

Speaking about extending such missions to Ukrainian airspace, Sikorski told 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 population – for example, from falling debris – would naturally be greater if we could combat drones and other flying objects beyond our national 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 soon after the then full-scale Russian invasion, was discussed by NATO allies during the Biden administration in 2022 but rejected for fear that direct confrontation with Russian combat planes could broaden the war.

Sikorski’s current proposal appears to be restricted to dealing with Russian drones approaching Ukraine’s borders with NATO states.

A total of 16 drones were found throughout the country after last Wednesday’s incursion, Poland’s interior ministry said. Polish and Dutch jets intercepted the drones, with assistance from Italian, German and NATO’s multinational forces, officials said.

Sikorski told Frankfurter Allgemeine that it was no coincidence that so many drones had suddenly 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 defense ministry said last week that it had carried out a strike against Ukraine overnight into Wednesday. It said that “no targets on the territory of Poland were planned for destruction,” and that the drones it used in Ukraine have a flight range of no more than 700 kilometers (435 miles).

In addition to the intrusion into Poland, just days later Romania scrambled fighter jets after a Russian drone breached its airspace on Saturday.

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