The first task of the "KAMOV" helicopter the extinguishing of fire near Bujanovac

8. August 2012.

As of yesterday, helicopter K-32, which carries five tons of water and has a six-member crew, is on the Nis airport "Constantine the Great", where it will be ready to respond in emergency situations until September 15, 2012. Djordje Babic, Deputy Head of the Serbian Ministry of Interior’s Emergency Situations Department, met a delegation from the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Civil Protection, Emergency Situations and Recovery from Natural Disasters and said that the aircraft might be immediately engaged in fighting a fire near Bujanovac.

„We are ready to respond in any emergency situation. We noticed two fires on our way to Nis, and in agreement with our colleagues from Serbia, we are ready for the task”, said Captain Sergey Jasenjski after landing at the city airport. He also pointed out that forest fires were most problematic for extinguishing. Mr. Babic said that cooperation with the Russian forces was going on for three years.

“The Russian team is here for prevention purposes and it is ready to respond in the entire territory of Serbia. Another two Russian aircraft are on alert and they will, if necessary, be ready to assist in extinguishing fires in the rugged terrain, "said Mr. Babic, adding that there was a great risk of breaking out of fires due to weather conditions.

“There is currently a small fire in the vicinity of Bujanovac, which is localized. However, since the fire started in inaccessible terrain containing cluster bombs, further fighting of the fire is risky. We will consider all safety aspects before reacting”, Mr.Babic said.