Russian Il-76 Aircraft Deployed to Combat Wildfires in Serbia

MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. An Il-76 plane of the Russian emergencies ministry has performed 19 sorties, dropping a total of 798 metric tons of water onto wildfires over four days of its work in Serbia, the ministry’s press service said.

"Over four days, the plane has completed 19 flights and dropped 798 tons of water onto wildfire hotspots," the statement said.

Serbian emergency specialists noted the high efficiency of Russian aerial operations.

"When the Il-76 plane of the Russian EMERCOM enters the water-drop zone, we observe real results just a few minutes later. Flames lose their intensity, allowing ground-based teams to move in and extinguish the remaining fires. This is not just aerial support, it’s a crucial factor in saving entire regions," the press service quoted Srdjan Mitrovic, who heads the crisis response center in Nis.

Luka Causic, the assistant minister of the Serbian interior ministry and the head of the Emergency Situations Sector, also emphasized Russia’s contribution into the firefighting effort.

"Thanks to the established coordination between our countries, we received an aircraft with the world’s largest capacity of 42 tons. The Il-76 of the Russian emergencies ministry was very helpful, and, according to the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center, over 500 tons of water have been dropped over two or three days. They are heroes in our country," the press service quoted the official as saying.

In turn, Serbian fire and rescue officials said that the Russian air crew is operating in the most challenging an inaccessible terrain, where ground-based teams face significant mobility constraints. They also noted the precise coordination of the plane’s crew and their capability to accurately target primary wildfire hotspots even in areas blanketed with smoke.