Britain, France, and other NATO countries could use their air power to protect Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure from Russian missiles and drones without directly engaging in war with Russia. This is suggested by retired British Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon in a commentary for The Telegraph. A similar possibility was also discussed by the Ukrainian media UNN, which referred to the publication.
According to the author, Moscow could step up attacks on Ukraine's electricity, heating, and water supplies during the coldest months. De Bretton-Gordon argues that the aim would be to break the resilience of Ukrainian society and force Kiev to make concessions.
“Europe cannot afford to wait for Washington to decide what the next steps will be“, the British colonel writes.He calls on Britain, France and their allies to urgently explore the possibility of a defensive air mission over specific areas of Ukraine. He says British and French missiles have already proven their ability to intercept Iranian-made drones and missiles in the Middle East.
The mission would require protection of allied aircraft
The proposal does not automatically mean the creation of a no-fly zone over all of Ukraine. The author points out that such an operation would require precise planning, selection of protected objects and measures to limit the risk to Western aircraft.
Among the possible targets are areas with large civilian populations, energy facilities and other critical infrastructure. De Breton-Gordon also draws attention to the cost. He points out that the F-35 aircraft can operate in the “blind zones” of Russian radars, but the missiles they use can cost up to $2 million each.
According to the colonel, air defense must be combined with supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition, radars, drones and electronic warfare systems. He suggests that Western countries also help with the rapid repair of damaged infrastructure, as well as providing backup energy capacity.
The goal is to limit pressure on Kiev
De Breton-Gordon links his proposal to the failures of the Russian ground offensive and the Kremlin's attempts to achieve a military effect by striking at the Ukrainian rear. In the commentary, he compares this tactic to that used by Russian forces in Syria.
In the author's assessment, protecting the civilian population and maintaining the energy system would make Ukraine a more difficult target. Combined with holding the front, this, he believes, could limit the Kremlin's options and increase the chance of Moscow being pushed into negotiations.
At the moment, this is a proposal in a journalistic commentary, not an announced decision by Britain, France or NATO to deploy their fighter jets over Ukraine.
Sources: news.bg, unn.ua