Skip to main content
Archived edition · August 22, 2026 Today's news →

What's happening in Europe?

Flag of Serbia

Serbia

News summary for

Go to today →

Rescue 🚁

Rescue Efforts Intensify; President Criticizes Minister

Serbia has formally accepted and begun receiving international assistance to combat extensive wildfires, with the European Union deploying four Black Hawk helicopters and rescue teams from Germany and Romania. These resources are being directed to critically affected areas like Deliblatska Peščara and Stolovi, where fires have been burning for weeks. Concerns are mounting over the environmental impact of the scorched earth, with a professor urging a ban on public access and monitoring for dangerous substances.

Amidst the ongoing crisis, President Aleksandar Vučić publicly criticized Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) MP Branko Ružić following a statement about a fire incident, accusing him of 'petty theft' in his past actions. This political development unfolds as questions are raised regarding the President's absence from wildfire-affected rural areas during his election campaign.

On the political front, student movements are refining their strategies for increased participation in the upcoming snap parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, a meteorologist has provided a forecast, predicting the end of the current summer heatwave and a return to cooler temperatures.

Top stories

International Aid Deployed as Wildfires Intensify

Serbia has accepted emergency assistance from the European Union, including four Black Hawk helicopters and 124 rescue personnel from Germany and Romania, to help combat extensive wildfires. The Deliblatska Peščara and Stolovi regions remain critically affected, with some fires burning for weeks, prompting calls for public access bans and environmental monitoring due to dangerous substances from scorched earth.

President Vučić Criticizes Ružić Amidst Fire Incidents

President Aleksandar Vučić has publicly criticized Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) MP Branko Ružić following a statement about a fire incident in Deliblatska Peščara, accusing him of 'petty theft' in his past actions. This comes as questions are raised about the President's absence from wildfire-affected rural areas during his election campaign. Separately, a British Times analysis describes President Vučić as a 'chameleon' navigating between Eastern and Western alliances, suggesting his time…

News sources