At a telephone session, the government approved the crossing of the border by members of the Croatian Armed Forces for humanitarian aid in firefighting efforts in the municipality of Bosansko Grahovo.
Two Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft of the Croatian Air Force are crossing the border and extinguishing the fire in the area of the Bosansko Grahovo municipality. The decision was made by the Government of the Republic of Croatia on Monday, August 17, 2026, at a telephone session, in accordance with Article 56 of the Defense Act, and pertains to the crossing of the state border by members of the Croatian Armed Forces.
Each of the two Canadairs had its own crew from the Croatian Armed Forces. The government announced on social media: "CROATIA SENDS 2️⃣ CANADAIRS TO BIH 🇭🇷🇧🇦 At today's 193rd 📞 #GovernmentSession, a decision was made, in accordance with Article 56 of the Defense Act, on the crossing of the border of the Republic of Croatia by members of the Armed Forces 🇭🇷 to provide humanitarian aid in extinguishing the fire in the area of the Bosansko Grahovo municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina."
The green light for sending the aircraft came after a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto. It was Krišto who requested intervention in extinguishing the fire that affected the surroundings of Bosansko Grahovo.
The two crews of the Croatian Air Force thus become part of the international firefighting humanitarian mission, and the Croatian Canadairs join the fire suppression operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
That same weekend, on August 16, 2026, the Croatian Government also announced the news of a third gold medal for the young water polo national teams at international competitions this summer. After the world golds of the U16 and U18 selections, the under-20 team won the European championship title.
