The Defense Forces have ordered 16 of these helicopters, which are expected to arrive between 2023 and 2025.Continue reading
On Thursday, Hungary will provide three off-road fire trucks capable of extinguishing fire nests at close range to North Macedonia, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote on his Facebook page after a telephone conversation with his North Macedonian counterpart. In addition, two helicopters of the Hungarian Air Force will soon join the fight against the wildfires.
“Unfortunately, our friends in North Macedonia are facing extraordinary challenges caused by forest fires. And when our friends are in trouble, we help. I have just spoken on the phone with Timčo Mucunski, the Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, to confirm that Hungary will provide North Macedonia with three off-road fire trucks tomorrow, that are capable of extinguishing the fire nests at close range,” Mr. Szijjártó wrote on Wednesday.
The minister updated his post later by writing that thanks to the rapid response of the Hungarian Defense Forces and Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, assistance will be further increased and two helicopters of the Hungarian Air Force will soon be involved in the fight against the wildfires.
The Defense Minister announced that
an Airbus H-225M-type and a Mi-17 aircraft are being prepared for the task.
The Szolnok unit has already started to practice water evacuation.
#Hungary aids fire-stricken North Macedonia by deploying two military #helicopters to the ground!
We are sending an Airbus H-225M and a Mi-17, along with #firefighting vehicles to bolster their firefighting efforts. #DisasterRelief #Solidarity #HDF pic.twitter.com/g735MbVUfJ
— Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky (@SzBobrovniczky) July 31, 2024
The Hungarian firefighters have since left for North Macedonia on Thursday morning. Dániel Mukics, spokesman for the National Directorate General for Disaster Management, said in a statement that
the Hungarian disaster management service had offered a fire-fighting team of 46 people and 13 vehicles in response to the Balkan state’s international request for assistance.
The firefighting team includes logisticians, drone pilots and three medical specialists. Their vehicles include three forest firefighting vehicles, a water transport vehicle, a drone transport vehicle with drones, an all-terrain vehicle, a command vehicle, two microbuses carrying the team, a quad, and three trucks transporting equipment.
Via MTI, Featured image: Honvedelem.hu