EU, Russian aircraft help Serbia battle wildfires

What the report says

Serbia is receiving international assistance as it battles major wildfires intensified by a hot, dry summer across the Balkans, according to Al Jazeera’s report published on 24 August 2026. Crews and aircraft from several European Union countries are helping Serbian firefighters contain a large blaze that has burned for weeks in Deliblatska Pescara, a protected nature reserve near Belgrade. State media also said a separate fire in the Stolovi mountain area in southwest Serbia was brought under control with the help of a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 water-bomber.

The article said Serbian authorities formally sought help through both Russia and the EU after concluding domestic resources were insufficient. The EU response included helicopters, firefighters and vehicles from countries such as the Czech Republic, Romania, Germany and Slovakia. Serbia’s interior minister, Ivica Dacic, described conditions as extremely difficult, while President Aleksandar Vucic said the request for outside help was made once local forces could no longer cope.

Al Jazeera reported that around 168 tonnes of water had been dropped on the two Serbian fires, and that more than 400 personnel were being deployed each day. The firefighting effort is part of a wider regional emergency, with blazes also reported in North Macedonia and along the Bosnia-Croatia border. The situation highlights how extreme weather is stretching emergency response systems across southeastern Europe, and how cross-border aid networks are being used in both directions during the fire season.