Smoke from the wildfires still hangs over parts of Serbia, but as the flames slowly recede, another debate is taking shape in their wake — one that has less to do with firefighting and more with politics.
In early August, wildfires swept across Serbia, affecting more than 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) in the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve alone. For days, firefighters, soldiers and helicopters battled the flames.
Serbia turned to Russia for help in fighting wildfires in the Deliblato Sands Special Nature ReserveImage: Marko Dimic/ZUMA/picture alliance
Then a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 firefighting aircraft arrived in the southern city of Nis. Serbia had turned to Moscow for help, making Russia the first foreign country it asked to provide a firefighting aircraft. Pro-government media greeted its arrival with celebratory coverage, dubbing the aircraft the "Russian beast."
"Considering that there are no firefighting aircraft of this capacity available within the European Union, the arriving Russian aircraft will significantly strengthen our capacities to fight the fires," said Luka Causic, head of the Serbian Interior Ministry's Department for Emergency Situations.
