Europe's wildfires strain resources; Serbia uses Russian, EU aid

Europe is grappling with an unprecedented wildfire season, stretching firefighting capacities to their limits and necessitating extensive cross-border cooperation. Blazes are burning simultaneously across the continent, forcing nations to redeploy vital resources like aircraft, helicopters, and firefighting crews to critical areas.

Serbia, facing significant challenges, has activated assistance from both Russia and the European Union. The country's interior ministry initially sought Russian help for a large firefighting aircraft due to a perceived lack of comparable EU resources through its Civil Protection Mechanism. A Russian IL-76P aircraft arrived and began operations over the Deliblatska Pescara nature reserve, where fires had raged for weeks.

Subsequently, Serbia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, integrating EU aircraft and ground crews into the response. The bloc dispatched four rescEU Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania, along with a 69-member Romanian firefighting and rescue team. This international effort comes as EU data reveals a devastating impact: by August 19, fires had consumed 619,298 hectares across the bloc, more than double the 2006-2025 average for the same period.

Notably, the deployment of the Russian aircraft required special clearance due to EU sanctions against Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member, granted an exception under humanitarian grounds after Belgrade requested permission. Earlier in the summer, Serbia had contributed to European efforts by sending a helicopter and personnel to assist Spain.

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no firefighting aircraft "of this capacity" was available through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism