Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski is advocating for NATO and the EU to seriously consider establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, proposing the interception of Russian drones and missiles before they reach allied airspace, he stated this morning in an interview with FAZ. Sikorski also called for a maritime control zone in the North Sea to monitor Russia's shadow fleet entering the Baltic, warning of potential environmental disaster. These statements come as Russian TU-22M3 bombers conducted patrols above neutral waters of the Barents Sea as part of the joint strategic exercises ZAPAD-2025, according to a report from TASS shared on X by La_souris_DA. Sikorski emphasized that implementing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be technically feasible but requires a joint decision among allies. His proposals signal a significant escalation in discussions regarding NATO's role in the ongoing conflict and its response to Russian military activities. Previous reports from earlier this morning detailed the deployment of French Rafale fighters with nuclear capabilities to Minsk Mazowiecki Air Base in Poland as part of NATO's Operation "Eastern Sentinel." These aircraft are part of France's nuclear deterrence force, equipped with the ASMP nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile. Additionally, reports from the past hour indicated continued drone activity by the Ukrainian Air Force in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, with one UAV heading west in Chernihiv and others changing course in Sumy. An enemy reconnaissance UAV was also detected south of Zaporizhzhia.
