On the 11th day of war, Russia was accused by Ukraine of bombing and destroying the Vinnytsia airport. Ukrainian authorities tweeted videos and photographs of thick plumes of black smoke rising as a massive inferno raged at the purported location of the airport on March 6.
The latest bombing attack came amid Ukraine's call for the West to impose a no-fly zone in Ukrainian airspace. This would mean that any unauthorised aircraft in Ukrainian airspace, like Russian fighter jets, would be shot down for violating the no-fly order.
However, Western powers are not keen on the move claiming that it would lead to spreading of the war throughout Europe. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has reasoned that to enforce the no-fly orders, NATO would have to deploy fighter jets, and also destroy Russian surface-to-air missile systems. This would lead to larger military confrontation between nuclear powers.
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Reacting to the airport bombing, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "I have just been informed about a missile strike on Vinnytsia. Eight missiles were shot at our city, at our peaceful and kind Vinnytsia which hasn't threatened Russia in any way. A harsh and cynical strike completely destroyed the airport."
Zelenskyy made a fresh push for no-fly zone orders by saying, "We repeat every day: close the sky over Ukraine to every Russian missile, to Russian combat aviation, to all these terrorists. Create humanitarian airspace without missiles and aerial bombs. We are people and this is your humanitarian duty to protect us and to protect people. You can do it.If you don't do it (impose no-fly zone), if you don't give us planes, at least, so that we can defend ourselves, then we can make only one conclusion: you also want us to be slowly killed. This is responsibility of world politicians, Western leaders today and forever."