A News Agency

An Il-76 aircraft belonging to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reportedly returned to Moscow on September 19 after taking part in efforts to combat forest fires in Serbia on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to a statement from Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Il-76 crew carried out 65 flights during the mission and dropped 2,730 tons of water on the fires. The aircraft was said to have used the VAP-2 water discharge system, which can release 42 tons of water in a single pass.

The statement said Russian emergency teams operated in difficult areas of Serbia. In the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve, the fire spread across more than 3,500 hectares, while difficult terrain and water shortages complicated the work of ground crews.

Temperatures reportedly exceeded 40 degrees during the operations, with teams facing heavy smoke, mountainous terrain and low visibility. The Il-76 aircraft also responded to fires on the steep slopes of Suva Planina, in the Stolovi area near Kraljevo and in Lukovo near Vranje.

The Il-76 reportedly worked alongside two Ka-32 helicopters and Serbian firefighting teams, while the Russian crews contributed to extinguishing the main fires and preventing the flames from reaching nearby settlements.

The statement also noted that Russian emergency teams had previously carried out various activities in Serbia. According to the statement, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations sent an air-mobile hospital to Serbia in 1999 and delivered medicines, equipment and humanitarian aid, while between 2008 and 2016 it participated in operations to clear mines and unexploded ordnance.

Aircraft from Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations were also reported to have supported efforts to combat large-scale forest fires in Serbia in 2011, 2012 and 2019, and contributed to flood response operations in the country in 2014.