Serbia activates EU aid and uses Russian aircraft to fight wildfires

wildfires Deliblato Sands EU Civil Protection Mechanism Il-76 aircraft emergency assistance

Serbia has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to combat widespread wildfires, with the most critical situation occurring in the Deliblato Sands nature reserve. The fires have consumed over 3,500 hectares of forest and resulted in at least one death and several injuries. Extreme heat exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and strong winds have significantly complicated firefighting efforts.

To bolster containment, Serbia has accepted international assistance. This includes four Black Hawk helicopters from the EU's strategic reserves (located in Romania, Czechia, and Slovakia), a firefighting and rescue team from Germany consisting of 55 members and 24 vehicles, and a team of 69 members from Romania. Additionally, the EU has provided access to a satellite system for monitoring fire hotspots.

Alongside EU aid, a Russian Il-76 aircraft has been deployed to extinguish large fire hotspots. The aircraft, which has a water capacity of 42 tons per flight, has been operating from Niš to prevent the flames from reaching residential areas. Serbian officials emphasized that the decision to use the Russian aircraft was based on technical necessity and the need for high-capacity water drops in difficult terrain, rather than political considerations.

Entities

13th Brigade Command Sliven · 24th Aviation Base Krumovo · BG-Alert · Bulgarian Ministry of Defense · Deliblato Sands · Deliblatska Peščara · European Union · European Union Civil Protection Mechanism · Il-76 · Ivica Dačić · Luka Čaušić · Russia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Wildfires in the Deliblato Sands nature reserve have consumed over 3,500 hectares of forest. valterportal.ba · 24sata.info · sapo.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] Temperatures in the region have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, complicating firefighting efforts. almanartv.com.lb · sapo.pt
[● 6 SOURCES] The Il-76 aircraft has a water capacity of 42 tons per flight. libertas.mk · www.magyarszo.rs · valterportal.ba · 013info.rs · 24sata.info · +1 more
[● 9 SOURCES] A Russian Il-76 aircraft has been used to extinguish large fire hotspots in Serbia. almanartv.com.lb · almanar.com.lb · libertas.mk · www.magyarszo.rs · valterportal.ba · +4 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Germany is providing a firefighting and rescue team of 55 members and 24 vehicles. sputnikportal.rs · www.danas.rs · www.kurir.rs · nova.rs
[● 2 SOURCES] The wildfires in Serbia have resulted in at least one death and several injuries. valterportal.ba · sapo.pt
[● 9 SOURCES] Serbia has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to combat forest fires. libertas.mk · www.magyarszo.rs · sputnikportal.rs · valterportal.ba · 013info.rs · +4 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Serbia accepted EU assistance including four Black Hawk helicopters from strategic reserves. sputnikportal.rs · www.danas.rs · www.kurir.rs · nova.rs
[● 9 SOURCES] Serbia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to combat forest fires. libertas.mk · www.magyarszo.rs · sputnikportal.rs · valterportal.ba · 013info.rs · +4 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Romania offered to send a firefighting team consisting of 69 members and 15 vehicles. sputnikportal.rs · www.danas.rs · www.kurir.rs · nova.rs
[● 7 SOURCES] The EU Civil Protection Mechanism provided Serbia with access to a satellite system for monitoring fire hotspots. libertas.mk · www.magyarszo.rs · valterportal.ba · 013info.rs · 24sata.info · +2 more