**European Air Forces Proposed to Protect Ukraine from Russian Aerial Attacks**
Military experts have suggested deploying European air forces to defend Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, against Russian aerial attacks. The plan, known as Sky Shield, was proposed by military experts and could be part of a “truce in the sky” initiative by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
**Key Details of the Plan**
The Sky Shield plan involves creating an air defense zone involving 120 fighter jets that will operate separately from NATO. The protection zone would cover Ukraine’s three operational nuclear power plants, as well as the cities of Odesa and Lviv in the south and west of the country. The east, where fierce battles are ongoing, was not included in the zone.
**Supporters and Critics**
The plan has been supported by former British Air Force planners and Ukrainian Armed Forces officials. However, European defense ministries have been hesitant to authorize patrolling Ukrainian skies due to fears of escalation. Former NATO supreme commander Philip Breedlove, Polish ex-President Aleksander Kwasniewski, and Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s former foreign minister, are among those who support the plan.
**Russian Aerial Attacks on Ukraine**
Russian forces regularly launch drones and missiles against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, inflicting heavy civilian casualties. A recent Russian missile strike against a hotel in Kryvyi Rih killed four people and injured over 30. The total death toll of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers, as well as Ukrainian civilians, stands at over 148,000 as of mid-February.
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