The Russian United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said yesterday it had sent two Be-200ES amphibious planes to Turkey on firefighting missions, the Middle East Monitor news website reported.
“Two Russian Be-200ES amphibious planes arrived in Turkey and on June 16 [they] began work on preventing the spread of forest fires in the Republic of Turkey. The conclusion of the service agreement and the dispatch of the aircraft were organized by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC within Rostec State Corporation) with the assistance of Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the active support of Rostec representatives in Ankara,” the UAC said in a statement.
It added that the planes would help Turkish authorities monitor the situation in Antalya, İzmir and Bodrum.
The statement added that the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry had previously sent a request to Russia to help fight forest fires ahead of the upcoming season.
UAC Director Yury Slyusar said the Russian amphibious aircraft “have unique characteristics and high efficiency, and had proven their effectiveness during firefighting missions and rescue operations in Europe and Southeast Asia.”