EU Ambassador to Belgrade: Firefighting Helicopters with Teams Being Dispatched to Serbia

Andreas von Beckerath (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

Andreas von Beckerath, head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia, announced on Aug. 22 that Brussels stands with Serbia "in protecting lives, livelihoods and the unique natural heritage of Deliblatska Sands," and that an EU liaison officer will be sent to Serbia to coordinate firefighting efforts in the area.

"Four [helicopters] from the strategic rescEU reserve in Czechia, Romania and Slovakia are being deployed, alongside firefighting teams from Germany and Romania," he said in a post on X, adding that a "liaison officer will also arrive." According to the post, the liaison officer will coordinate with the Serbian authorities, the EU Emergency Response Coordination Center and teams on the ground, "ensuring assistance reaches where it is needed most."

The Serbian Interior Ministry said in a press release on Aug. 22 that international firefighting and rescue teams and aircraft from mulitple European states are gradually joining firefighting operations in multiple regions in Serbia after the state accepted the assistance. Four rescEU Black Hawk helicopters have been deployed to Serbia through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Two are from Czechia with 13 crew members and technical staff, one is from Slovakia with seven crew members and one from Romania with four crew members.

Luka Causic, head of the Serbian Interior Ministry's Emergency Situations Sector, said three Interior Ministry helicopters and two that arrived as part of assistance from EU countries dropped 370 tons of water on the Deliblatska Pescara in the course of the day, while the Russian Ilyushin airplane delivered another 210 tons. Causic told the RTS public service broadcaster that the Deliblatska Pescara wildfire situation was considerably better on Aug. 22 than several days ago, when the focus was on defending settlements but that teams would be in the field again due to heightened winds.