ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2021) Two Russian Il-76 aircraft have arrived in Greece to help the Mediterranian nation extinguish wildfires, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Tuesday.
The planes landed at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos and were met by representatives of the Russian Embassy in the Greek capital, as well as the national firefighting service and the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.
Two Mi-8 helicopters will be later delivered to the country on board an An-124 aircraft.
Athens sent a request to Moscow on Monday, asking for two Il-76 planes and two Mi-8 helicopters to respond to raging wildfires in the country.
Greece, as well as other countries in the southeast Mediterranean region, have been suffering from strong wildfires since early August due to the worst heatwave since 1987.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday that the situation with wildfires was improving and pledged to make the restoration of the burned territories his top priority.
