No-fly zone: What does it mean, and why is NATO unwilling to impose one over Ukraine? 

President Zelensky of Ukraine has asked the West to impose a no-fly zone as a precautionary measure as his country comes under aerial attack from Russia.

He claims that dragging NATO into a confrontation with Russia is not his intention, but his pleas have so far been ignored.

If a no-fly zone is imposed, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has indicated that RAF fighters may be forced to target Russian planes, resulting in a far larger confrontation.

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Here we explain what a no-fly zone (NFZ) is, why NATO refuses to enforce one, and how many times it has been used previously.

What is a no-fly zone?

For security reasons, a no-fly zone is a restricted area where aeroplanes are prohibited from flying.

They're frequently employed in war zones to prevent aggressors from flying military aircraft over their own territory.

It protects civilians and military targets while also conducting surveillance.

Opposing fighter aeroplanes monitor the zone, looking for any planes that aren't following the rules.

Any rogue planes may be compelled to land or escorted away, and they could be shot down in the process.

A no-fly zone is an order that prohibits aeroplanes from flying over a specific area.

For security considerations, such zones are occasionally imposed over government facilities or public spaces, as well as sacred sites for religious and cultural purposes.

During conflicts, they are most problematic when employed to prohibit military aircraft from engaging in hostile acts.

All unlicensed aircraft would be barred from flying over Ukraine under a no-fly zone.

Following the 1991 Gulf War, Western nations imposed such restrictions on areas of Iraq for more than a decade, as well as during the civil wars in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1993 to 1995 and Libya in 2011.

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Why is NATO adamant about not imposing one over Ukraine?

NATO countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have refused to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine in order to avoid a direct conflict.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary general, has consistently dismissed the idea of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, telling NBC on February 28 that "we have no intention of moving into Ukraine, either on the ground or in the air."

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No-fly zones have been utilised in the past

Following the first Gulf War in 1991, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France established two no-fly zones in Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein from targeting Iraq's Kurdish and Shia Muslim communities.

This was done without the support of the United Nations.

During the Bosnian War in the 1990s, NATO countries used Operation Deny Flight to impose a no-fly zone.

Libya was placed under a no-fly zone in 2011 to protect its citizens from the Gaddafi regime's attacks.

RAF jets from the United Kingdom were among those involved.

(With inputs from agencies)