As we’ve been reporting today, Ukraine’s President Zelensky has once again called for the West to instate a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
But that has been resisted by Nato. Why?
A no-fly zone in a war is aimed at stopping aircraft from entering banned airspace, usually to prevent attacks or surveillance.
But such a ban needs to be enforced by military means.
A no-fly zone over Ukraine would mean that military forces – specifically Nato forces – would engage directly with any Russian planes spotted in those skies and shoot at them if necessary.
That would effectively bring Western nations into military combat with Russia – a dramatic escalation to the war.
BBC