On July, 7, 2025, the Air Force VING was urgently engaged in supporting the action to extinguish the forest fire that broke out on the territory of the Municipality of Chucher Sandevo, in the area of the villages of Chucher Sandevo and Blace.
The intervention began at 5:00 a.m., after an official request was received and the technical and operational preparations were completed. Three helicopters were involved in the action – two from the Ministry of Interior (MOA) and one Mi-8MT helicopter from the Army’s AF VING, which carried out several precision flights with a total of 15 tons of water being discharged onto the most critical hotspots.
The Army AF VING acted in coordination with all competent institutions: the Crisis Management Center (CMC), the Fire Protection Brigade of the City of Skopje, the municipal public utilities, the Protection and Rescue Directorate (PRD), as well as volunteer teams.
The air support significantly contributed to reducing the intensity of the fire, bringing it under control and preventing its spread to populated areas and forest areas. This engagement once again confirms the capacity and readiness of the AF VING for rapid, precise and efficient intervention from air in crisis situations.
The action continues with enhanced coordination of all engaged institutions, with the AF VING remaining in a state of full operational readiness for further air support, in service of the state with the ultimate goal – the protection of human lives, property and the natural environment.
