Serbia: Russian Emergencies Ministry aircraft conducts wildfire missions.

SHOTLIST UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS IN SERBIA (RELEASED ON AUG. 22, 2026) (USERS MUST CREDIT " RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY " HANDOUT – FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY – DO NOT OBSCURE LOGO) 1. RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY IL-76 FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT ON TARMAC AT AIRPORT 2. VARIOUS AERIAL SHOTS OF SMOKE RISING FROM BURNING FOREST 3. FIREFIGHTER SPRAYING WATER ON BURNING AREA IN FOREST 4. MASSIVE FLAMES RISING FROM BURNING AREA (NIGHT SHOT) UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS IN SERBIA (RELEASED ON AUG. 22, 2026) (USERS MUST CREDIT " RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY " HANDOUT – FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY – DO NOT OBSCURE LOGO) - A Russian Emergencies Ministry Il-76 aircraft carried out five firefighting sorties in Serbia on Saturday, Aug. 22, dropping a total of 210 tons of water as efforts to contain wildfires entered a third day, according to the ministry. Ground operations were supported by personnel from the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center using firefighting vehicles and ATVs, while drone teams were deployed to locate hotspots and coordinate aerial operations. Serbia has also activated the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, with helicopters and firefighters sent to assist efforts against wildfires, including a major blaze at the Deliblatska Pescara nature reserve northeast of Belgrade. The Russian Il-76 firefighting aircraft arrived in Serbia earlier in the week to help tackle the blaze, which has burned thousands of hectares of pine forest since late July. The situation was reported to be more stable on Saturday, though strong winds were expected, with authorities prioritizing the protection of settlements and residents.