The Russian Il-76 aircraft of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations arrived in the Serbian city of Niš to participate in extinguishing natural fires. The aircraft was dispatched on the instructions of President Vladimir Putin after the Serbian side requested assistance due to the critical fire situation.

The crew has already started working. The first water drop was made in the area of the Deliblatska Peščara nature reserve. The aircraft is equipped with a water-dropping device and is capable of dropping up to 42 tons of water in a matter of seconds, making it an effective tool for combating large fires.

The fire in the Deliblatska Peščara nature reserve in northeastern Serbia has covered an area of about 3.5 thousand hectares. According to Serbian authorities, over the past few days, emergency services have received more than 40 reports of smoke and the smell of burning in various parts of the country.