A call for Western forces to help protect Ukraine’s skies has put a renewed spotlight on the risks of direct NATO involvement in the war. Sam Kiley, world affairs editor at The Independent, argued in an opinion column published Oct. 24 that NATO should consider deploying forces to protect Ukrainian civilians.
The United Nations’ latest civilian-casualty report recorded at least 328 people killed and 2,105 injured in Ukraine in September 2026. The total of 2,433 was the highest for September since Russia’s full-scale invasion and 85% above September 2025; missiles and long-range drones accounted for 53% of the month’s casualties.
Kiley’s argument draws on a Sept. 23 paper by Justin Bronk, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), which examines a multinational NATO squadron for intercepting attack drones. Bronk frames the proposal around incursions into NATO member states’ airspace and the strain drone interceptions put on frontline aircraft and scarce missiles. His paper does not propose deploying the squadron over Ukraine.
The distinction matters as drone incidents reach NATO territory. Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said two F-16s shot down two jet-powered Geran-family attack drones over Romanian territorial waters on Oct. 17 after they entered the country’s airspace.
