Russia’s Il-76 aircraft prevents fire from spreading to populated areas in Serbia

MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. Russia’s Il-76 aircraft has prevented a wildlife fire from spreading to populated areas in Serbia, the press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry has told TASS.

On Tuesday, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, along with Russia’s ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, visited the Russian special plane at Nis Airport.

"According to Ivica Dacic, the fight against the fires continues, and he once again thanked the Russian leadership and the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. He emphasized that Russia's assistance in extinguishing wildfires has been critical in the most intense areas. It was thanks to the crew's efforts that a fire was prevented from spreading to nearby communities. The Serbian side highly appreciates the crew's efficiency and precision in responding to the most challenging conditions," the Emergencies Ministry stated.

Dacic emphasized Russia's rapid response to the request for firefighting assistance. He noted that, thanks to the Russian aircraft, many buildings were saved during fires in the Deliblat Sands Nature Reserve. There were also no casualties. In addition to the nature reserve, the special flight extinguished fires in Stolovi near Kraljevo and Lukovo near Vranje.

"The crew will continue its work at the pace required by the current situation. Serbian firefighters are demonstrating high professionalism and efficiency; many of them have been trained at the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center. We have exceptional cooperation. This noble and challenging mission is a confirmation of our friendship," Russia’s ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said.

Serbia is facing a challenging wildfire situation, and local authorities have appealed to Moscow for assistance. A Russian Emergencies Ministry special plane arrived in Nis on August 19 and began extinguishing the fires the following day.