Hungarian Defence Forces also providing assistance in North Macedonia

Text: Levente Petróczy | Photo: Ákos Pintér | 11:31 August 2, 2024

“Each of the two helicopters can transport 2,500 liters of water to the area on a single sortie, but their most important property is not this, but rather their capability of extinguishing fires while hovering directly over the fireground – this was what Colonel Zsolt Simon, Vice-Commander, HDF 86th Helicopter Wing said about our helicopters offered for combating wildfire in North Macedonia at the departure of the H225M helicopter in Szolnok on 1 August.

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As it is known, in response to a call for help from the Balkan state, the Hungarian Defence Forces contribute two helicopters – an Airbus H225M, and a Mi-17 stationed in Sarajevo – to the success of firefighting operations in North Macedonia, whereas the Hungarian National Directorate General for Disaster Management has offered a firefighting team consisting of 46 men and 13 vehicles. The latter also left for Macedonia on 1 August.

The 11 personnel departing from Szolnok on Thursday also practiced picking up water with Bambi bucket the previous day, and then left for Macedonia after a pre-flight inspection of the helicopter. They first went to Sarajevo, where they were joined by the Mi-17 in service with EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then the two helicopters flew to Skopje. The firefighting operation, including the work of the two Hungarian helicopters, are being coordinated by the Protection and Rescue Directorate of North Macedonia.