Serbia requests Russian firefighting plane as EU resources strained; Putin issues immediate order
塞尔维亚发出请求，普京紧急下令
Serbia requested and received a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 firefighting aircraft after its interior ministry said the European Union lacked available planes to help combat worsening wildfires. The Russian plane, dispatched on a direct order from President Vladimir Putin, landed on the evening of August 19 and began operations the following day. Serbia is not an EU member but can access its civil protection mechanism; however, widespread summer fires across Europe have depleted the bloc's resources.
The view from inside
The report, carried by Sina News from the state-owned China News Service, frames the episode as a story of practical partnership filling a vacuum left by the EU.
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