MOSCOW, May 20 (RIA Novosti) – Two multipurpose Kamov Ka-32 helicopters deployed by the Russian Emergencies Ministry in Serbia will be deployed to fight forest fires throughout the Balkans this season, a senior ministry official told RIA Novosti Tuesday.
“The Russia-Serbia center located in the town of Nis will be offering the services of the Ka-32s for rescue operations, fighting different fires and other operations in the mountains, plains and on the sea,” EMERCOM First Deputy Director Yuri Brazhnikov said while speaking on the sidelines of the International Security exhibition in Moscow.
EMERCOM, under the aegis of the Emergencies Ministry, is responsible for coordinating Russian participation in international humanitarian operations.
The two helicopters landed on Monday in Serbia to participate in rescue operations in regions hit by floods, which have destroyed or damaged thousands of residential buildings and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
Floods and mudslides in the region are believed to have caused dozens of human deaths, although the exact number of victims remains unknown.
Wildfires are a common problem on the densely-forested Balkan peninsula, which cause billions of euros in damages each year.
The Ka-32 helicopters are capable of carrying over 40 types of fire-fighting equipment, including water tanks and water cannons.
Brazhnikov said the helicopters have a good track record in participating in different operations in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that the agency had also received inquiries from Croatia.
He added that the Nis center could serve as a model for regional humanitarian operation centers.
