Blidinje wildfires and Montenegro military exercises

Large-scale wildfires continue to impact the Blidinje Nature Park and Čvrsnica mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The fires, which have burned for several days, have threatened residential homes, weekend cottages, and local churches. Due to the extremely difficult and inaccessible terrain, firefighting efforts have relied heavily on aerial support. This includes helicopters from the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canadair aircraft deployed from Croatia to assist local crews.

While some areas near Masna Luka have been placed under control, the situation remains volatile due to strong winds and a lack of rainfall. Firefighters from multiple cantons are remains on the ground to monitor the situation and prevent further spread through dense pine forests.

Separately, Montenegro has concluded 'Common Challenge 26', the largest international mountain warfare exercise held in the country to date. The exercise involved over 500 personnel from Montenegro, the United States, Austria, Slovenia, Spain, and North Macedonia. Officials, including Defense Minister Dragan Krapović and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić, noted that the drill demonstrated high levels of interoperability and professional coordination in demanding mountain environments.