Anušić Decorates Pilots: They Dropped 1,224 Tons of Water
Members of the 855th Firefighting Squadron of the Croatian Air Force completed a ten-day battle against catastrophic fires in France and returned to their base in Zemunik on Sunday.
Members of the 855th Firefighting Squadron of the Croatian Air Force completed a ten-day battle against catastrophic fires in France and returned to their base in Zemunik on Sunday.
Members of the 855th Firefighting Squadron of the Croatian Air Force returned to the "Pukovnik Marko Živković" barracks in Zemunik on August 2, 2026, after spending ten days in France battling massive fires. The following day, August 3, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić publicly thanked them on social media platform X for their exceptional efforts.
"To our members of the 855th Firefighting Squadron of the Croatian Air Force, I extend my gratitude for once again demonstrating, under the extremely difficult conditions of catastrophic fires, that the Croatian Army is ready to help even in the most challenging situations," wrote Minister Anušić.
Croatian military pilots, flight technicians, and aviation mechanics were deployed in France from July 24 to August 2, 2026, as part of the European Civil Protection Mechanism RescEU. During this mission, members of the 93rd Wing of the Croatian Air Force completed 225 flights, logged 51 hours and 40 minutes in the air, and dropped a total of 1,224 tons of water on the fire zones.
Together with their French counterparts, they fought fires at multiple locations, including the areas around Bordeaux, Salernes, Biscarrosse, and regions east of Marseille.
Anušić emphasized that Croatian firefighting pilots rank among the world's elite in terms of skill, knowledge, and experience. "Just as they protect our Croatia from the fiery element every firefighting season, they are equally ready to assist their colleagues beyond Croatia's borders and proudly represent the victorious Croatian Army," the minister said, as reported by Glas Slavonije.
Major Ivan Dukić, aircraft captain on the Canadair CL-415, described the harrowing scenes they encountered. "Every mission brings its own challenges, and this one was particularly demanding. It was staggering to see the fire west of Bordeaux, an area of 42,000 hectares burned, which is four times the size of the city of Paris. It was hard to see burned homes, destroyed industrial facilities, and devastated vineyards," Major Dukić recounted.
He also reflected on the importance of the international cooperation achieved on the ground: "Working with our French colleagues, exchanging knowledge and experience, and the great honor of helping the Republic of Croatia and us as a team, as a group, as a squadron, just as we provide support and protect the Republic of Croatia every summer."
