The European Commission will deploy two firefighting aircraft to Cyprus

According to local media reports, two light firefighting aircraft will be operational in Cyprus from June 15 to October 30 as part of the RescEU civil protection mechanism. These aircraft will be leased by the government using funds from the European Union, similar to last year's arrangement.

The meteorological forecast predicts a hot and dry summer in the Southeastern Mediterranean region, with temperatures expected to be above normal.

Should neighboring countries require urgent assistance in extinguishing fires, Cyprus will be able to deploy these aircraft to assist them until the fires are brought under control.

Since 2016, the Republic of Cyprus has requested EU assistance eight times to combat fires and has assisted neighboring countries in firefighting operations on 16 occasions. In 2023 alone, Cyprus requested EU firefighting assistance twice.

It's important to note that since May 12, two firefighting helicopters and an 18-person team from Jordan have been operating in Cyprus, providing round-the-clock firefighting capabilities.