Serbia has turned to Russia for help in fighting a wildfire that has burned for weeks in the Deliblatska Pescara natural protected reserve near the southern city of Niš. The request came after the interior ministry said there were no firefighting aircraft of sufficient capacity available within the European Union.

Russian aircraft arrives

A Russian Emergencies Ministry IL‑76P plane landed in Niš on Wednesday evening and was deployed the next day to tackle the blaze. Pilot Andrei Vidlov told state broadcaster RTS that the crew was there to work and felt “at home” on Serbian soil.

Why the EU could not assist

Serbia is not an EU member but can access emergency aid through the bloc’s Civil Protection Mechanism. Earlier this summer, Belgrade sent a helicopter and response team to Spain under the same mechanism. However, widespread wildfires across Europe have stretched EU resources thin, leaving Serbia without the needed aircraft.

Sanctions and airspace

Russian planes are barred from flying over European airspace under sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, though humanitarian aid is exempt. The Russian aircraft crossed the airspace of Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member, after receiving a request from Belgrade, according to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Balancing East and West

The deployment underscores Serbia’s ongoing balancing act between its historic ties to Russia and its aspirations to join the EU. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Serbia earlier this month, yet Belgrade has not adopted EU sanctions against Russia.

Serbian media reported that the plane was sent on instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin following Serbia’s request, though Reuters could not immediately confirm the claim.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.