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Serbia plans to buy two Russian Ka-32 firefighting helicopters — President Vucic

Vucic noted that Serbia now had helicopters capable of taking only one tonne of water, while Ka-32 helicopters could carry up to five tonnes of water

BELGRADE, August 10. /TASS/. Serbia plans to buy two Ka-32 firefighting helicopters from Russia, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday.

"We plan to buy two new Kamov helicopters, I think Ka-32, special helicopters that can carry up to five tonnes of water. Now we have helicopters capable of taking only one tonne of water. We will buy two Kamov helicopters to protect ourselves and our neighbors from wildfires next year. You see that today everybody needs our helicopters and we will be able to help both ourselves and our neighbors more when we buy these firefighting helicopters," Vucic said in an interview with the Pink television channel.

Earlier, Serbia’s interior ministry sent 51 firefighters, 13 vehicles and three firefighting helicopters (two Bell-212 and one H-145) to Greece to help extinguish wildfires.

Abnormally hot weather, with air temperatures rising as high as 47 degrees Celsius, has been staying in Greece for more than ten days. Numerous wildfires are reported across the country.