Serbia seeks EU aid to fight widespread forest fires

Serbia has activated the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, formally requesting EU assistance to battle a devastating wave of forest fires. The country has been grappling with numerous blazes in recent days, which have claimed at least one life, injured several people, and scorched thousands of hectares.

The plea for help comes as Russia deployed heavy Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft to aid in extinguishing efforts alongside Serbian Army units and local police helicopters. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed the request to the EU for large-capacity water-dropping planes, helicopters, and specialized vehicles, citing a lack of sufficient aircraft within Serbia.

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We lack planes that can drop a large amount of water in a single pass.

"We lack planes that can drop a large amount of water in a single pass," Dacic stated. The situation is particularly critical in the Deliblato Sands Nature Reserve, located northeast of Belgrade near the Romanian border. Here, flames have ravaged over 3,500 hectares of protected ecosystems.

Firefighters are struggling to contain more than thirty active fire fronts across Serbia, with the southern and eastern regions being most affected. The containment efforts are severely hampered by strong winds and an intense heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in several areas.

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The European Civil Protection Mechanism has given us access to a satellite fire monitoring system and, at the same time, we have asked them to check if there are aircraft with greater capacity than those already available.