Serbia has requested assistance from Russia for combating wildfires.

The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that it has received assistance from Russia to combat wildfires, as the European Union does not have firefighting aircraft.

A Russian firefighting aircraft IL-76P has landed in Serbia and has been involved in the fight against the fires in the Deliblato Sands nature reserve, which have been ongoing for weeks.

Although Serbia is not a member of the EU, it has access to emergency aid through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, but European resources are overwhelmed by fires in other parts of Europe.

The Russian aircraft was authorized to cross Bulgarian airspace to reach Serbia, and humanitarian aid is exempt from the sanctions imposed on Russia.