#RussiaHelps

⚡️ Russia's EMERCOM:

🛬 On September 19, Russia’s EMERCOM Il-76 aircraft returned to Moscow from Serbia.

The aircraft helped combat wildfires in Serbia on the instructions of President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

The EMERCOM Il-76 crew carried out 65 flights, dropping 2,730 tonnes of water on the fires. The aircraft is equipped with a VAP-2 water discharge system capable of releasing 42 tonnes of water in a single drop, which proved crucial in tackling major blazes.

Russian emergency responders worked in the most challenging areas. In the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve, the fires spread across more than 3,500 hectares, while difficult terrain and water shortages hampered ground crews.

Operating conditions were near-extreme: temperatures above 40°C, heavy smoke, mountainous terrain and limited visibility. The aircraft also fought fires on the steep slopes of Suva Planina, in the Stolovi area near Kraljevo, and in Lukovo near Vranje.

The Il-76 worked alongside two Ka-32 helicopters and Serbian firefighting crews on the ground. The EMERCOM crew helped extinguish the main fires and prevent the flames from reaching nearby communities.

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🤝 Russian emergency responders have a long history of helping the Serbian people.

• In 1999, during NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia, Russia’s EMERCOM deployed an air-mobile hospital to Serbia and delivered medicines, equipment and humanitarian supplies.

• From 2008 to 2016, EMERCOM bomb disposal specialists cleared mines and unexploded ordnance in Serbia.

• In 2011, 2012 and 2019, EMERCOM aircraft helped combat large-scale wildfires in the country.

• In 2014, an EMERCOM rescue team helped Serbia respond to devastating floods.

🇷🇺🇷🇸 #RussiaSerbia