Ukraine Offers France Assistance in Fighting Wildfires

Ukraine is ready to send specialists to help fight the large-scale wildfires currently raging in southern France.

Volodymyr Zelensky announced this.

The Ukrainian President made the offer of assistance following a phone call with Emmanuel Macron.

The situation with the fires in southern France remains dire: since the fires broke out on July 22, in the Gironde department alone, they have destroyed approximately 42,000 hectares, led to the evacuation of about 220,000 people, and destroyed around 240 homes.

To support emergency services, the French Ministry of Defense has deployed 1,500 military personnel and foreign firefighting teams; in particular, following the activation of the EU’s RescEU mechanism, two Cypriot Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft and two Swedish Air Tractor AT-802F aircraft were deployed to fight the fires.

The fire has approached military facilities, including a plant where M51 intercontinental ballistic missiles are fueled and a Dassault plant where Rafale fighter jets are assembled.

Ukraine’s experience in firefighting

Ukraine has been sending firefighting missions abroad since 1994, starting with Spain.

From 2006 to 2017, Ukraine helped fight fires in Israel, Montenegro, and—on two occasions—Georgia.

In 2021, 100 firefighters helped fight fires in Greece, and that same year, the State Emergency Service deployed two AN-32P aircraft for a mission in Turkey.

In 2024, Ukraine offered assistance to Portugal in fighting large-scale wildfires.

In 2025, a Ukrainian AN-32P aircraft helped extinguish fires in Montenegro with support from the UAE.