The Ukrainian AN-32P Firekiller aircraft of XENA company continues to help extinguish forest fires in Montenegro. The difficulty of the mission here lies in the mountainous terrain. XENA's operational director Ihor Komarov told what happens after the Ukrainian team receives a fire call. Read more about it in the UNN material.
In mid-August, the Ukrainian fire-fighting aircraft arrived in Montenegro by agreement between the country's Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The United Arab Emirates covered all costs of the fire-fighting operation - from fuel supply to payment for the work of the Ukrainian crew.
The AN-32P Firekiller is a unique fire-fighting aircraft that can hold eight tons of water.
"The flight itself looks powerful, and when it drops thousands of liters on the fire, it becomes clear what kind of specialist we are dealing with," notes the local TVCG publication.
It is noted that due to the large volumes of water discharge, in some cases, six approaches were enough for the Ukrainian aircraft to extinguish the fire.
"The response time is 25 to 30 minutes. From the moment we receive a call, it takes us 15 minutes to arrive at the airport, another 12-15 minutes to fill the tanks with water and refuel. So the total response time to a request is 30-35 minutes. This includes transportation from the hotel to the airport," said Ihor Komarov, Chief Operating Officer of XENA.
According to him, it is an honor for the Ukrainian team to help Montenegro in the fight against fires.
The captain of the Ukrainian AN-32P Firekiller aircraft, Oleh Maksymov, said that the crew had already made 39 water drops on fire centers, which is 312 thousand liters. Extinguishing with such aerial "water bombs" may seem simple at first glance, but it is not.
"I have four years of experience on this aircraft, of which the last two years I flew in Turkey. If we talk about experience, it is much more difficult here in Montenegro than in Turkey... and perhaps even more dangerous," Maksymov noted.
He said that upon arrival in Montenegro, the Ukrainian crew immediately began to extinguish several small fires from the air.
As Roman Balaban, pilot of the AN-32P Firekiller aircraft of XENA company, previously said, the physical training of the crew must be exceptional, because the aircraft is controlled manually without an autopilot.
"Excellent vision and quick reaction are vital, especially in the mountains - pilots must accurately assess the terrain and foresee the development of the fire. Each flight brings unique challenges, and it is this combination of unpredictability and intensity that makes the work so exciting," he explained.