What is a 'no-fly zone' as Ukraine asks NATO to 'close skies' amid Russia conflict

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Ukraine is asking NATO to "close the skies" in a bid to end Russia's air attacks. President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western allies to consider imposing a "no fly zone" (NFZ) over parts of Ukraine as Russia forces continue to invade the country.

The Ukrainian President said: "If the West does this, Ukraine will defeat the aggressor with much less blood." However, the requests have been rejected by NATO with Prime Minister Boris Johnson explaining that such intervention would result in a much wider conflict.

This is because NATO jets would be forced to directly attack Russian planes if no fly zone rules were set and then broken. A no-fly zone bans or restrictions aircrafts from using a certain air space.It is usually applied for security reasons - for example in war zones to stop aggressor flying military aircraft flying over land.The no-fly zone also carries out surveillance in a bid to prevent attacks being launched on civilians or military targets.No fly zones may also be imposed during major events such as the Olympics or over certain buildings.For example, a no-fly zone was placed over Windsor Castle this yea in order to permanently limit how close aircraft can get.

To ensure the NFZ rules are adhered to, fighter jets often patrol the zone in search for any planes trying to enter. If identified, rogue aircrafts may be forced to land or escorted away form the zone.In some circumstances, the planes risk being shot down if they continue to breach the no-fly rules.If a no-fly zone was imposed over Ukraine, it would mean that NATO forces would engage directly with any Russian planes spotted in Ukrainian airspace.Prime Minister Boris Johnson as well as his US counterparts have rejected the idea of imposing a NFZ over