Cyprus sends firefighting aircraft to France to combat wildfires

On July 5, 2026, the Republic of Cyprus announced the deployment of two Air Tractor firefighting aircraft to assist French authorities. This assistance was requested by France through the European Union's RescEU civil protection mechanism. The aircraft, which are part of the EU reserve fleet and stationed in Cyprus, were dispatched following the outbreak of severe wildfires in the Eastern Pyrenees region. As of July 5, more than 13,500 stremmata (approximately 1,350 hectares) of land have been destroyed by the blaze. Approximately 700 firefighters are currently operating in the region, facing difficult conditions due to high temperatures, dry weather, and strong winds. The French prefecture had previously placed the area under an orange alert for fire risks. These wildfires in southern France are part of a wider trend of blazes affecting other parts of Southern Europe, including significant fires in Spain and Portugal.