The EU’s sanctions on Russia have left Spain without access to advanced firefighting equipment amid an unprecedented wildfire emergency, with record blazes overwhelming parts of southern Europe.

Fast-moving fires near Madrid, Bordeaux, and Valencia have forced more than 360,000 people to evacuate over the past several days. Over 9,000 firefighters, troops, police, and other emergency personnel have been mobilized to battle the blaze, backed by dozens of aircraft and hundreds of vehicles. However, dry conditions and another approaching heatwave have complicated their efforts. Authorities say this year’s wildfires are among the worst on record.

Spain’s response has been further hampered by its inability to deploy its former fleet of Russian-made Kamov Ka-32 helicopters. The aircraft are considered particularly effective for wildfire missions due to their large water capacity, maneuverability, and ability to operate in extreme heat and difficult terrain.

Previously used under contracts with Spain’s national and regional authorities, the fleet has remained grounded under the EU sanctions regime that was imposed against Russia following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.

Prominent French Eurosceptic Florian Philippot said Brussels’ restrictions had effectively deprived Spain of nearly a dozen of its “best helicopters” at the height of the emergency.

Accusing Brussels of sacrificing Europeans to its “stupid Russophobic ideology,” the Les Patriotes leader wrote on X, “These idiotic sanctions are definitely a real problem, not for Russia, but for European countries,” while demanding that an end be put to the restrictions.

The Spanish government has acknowledged that the Ka-32 fleet has been hurt by the sanctions, which bar operators from purchasing spare parts and bringing Russian engineers to Spain for maintenance and inspections.

Spain has deployed replacement helicopters, water bombers, and drones to fight the wildfires, but the substitutes reportedly carry less water and perform less effectively in difficult conditions.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday that the area lost this summer was six times greater than that lost at the same point in 2025, while warning of “difficult and complex hours” ahead.

France has evacuated around 250,000 people, as more than 13,500 fires and outbreaks have scorched over 116,000 hectares nationwide this season, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported, describing the situation as “completely unprecedented” and “far from over.”

The Gironde blaze near Bordeaux alone has burned around 42,000 hectares and become intense enough to generate a rare ‘fire cloud’, which can create its own winds and lightning, prompting sudden and unpredictable changes in the fire’s behavior.

Nunez said the blaze had taken on “a life of its own” and was spreading erratically, making it exceptionally difficult to contain.

Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record this year, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. France experienced its warmest June and hottest day ever recorded, while Spain registered its hottest June days, as extreme heat and dry conditions heightened the risk of wildfires.

https://www.rt.com/news/643547-spain-wildfire-russia-sanctions/

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A senior Russian diplomat has dismissed speculation that Moscow played any role in the wildfires sweeping France, saying the allegations show their authors “do not respect” their own population.

Last week, Caroline Thominet, president of Doc4Ukraine – a French non-profit network of companies and hospitals that supplies medical aid to Ukraine – raised the idea of Russian interference during an interview with BFM TV.

Without accusing Russia directly, she said that “one must ask questions about possible interference at certain locations,” adding that police and intelligence services “gather information when there are crimes on French soil.”

Officials in Paris have also refrained from accusing Russia of staging wildfires, though France has repeatedly accused Moscow of waging a “hybrid war” against it through sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation – an allegation the Kremlin has consistently denied.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, dismissed any speculation. “Some French officials and journalists claim that Russia is somehow involved in the massive wildfires in France,” he wrote on X on Sunday. “They simply do not respect their own population.”

Florian Philippot, leader of the French party Les Patriotes, also mocked the theory. “There we go: the fires in France were started by the Russians! And you’re required to believe it, otherwise you’ll immediately be labeled a Russian agent destined for the European reeducation camps,” he said.

Philippot also accused the French authorities of applying double standards to conspiracy theories by condemning some while effectively legitimizing others as “authorized.”

The controversy comes as France endures one of its worst wildfire seasons on record amid climate change and a string of heatwaves and droughts. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said last month that almost 14,000 fires have broken out since January, with more than 250,000 people forced to evacuate.

Nine in ten fires are estimated to be human-caused – mostly through negligence, such as cigarette butts, barbecues or unsupervised construction work, rather than deliberate arson. French police have detained 420 people, including 166 minors, on suspicion of starting fires deliberately or through serious negligence, according to the Interior Ministry.

Russia and the EU previously helped each other combat wildfires, dispatching specialized aircraft and fire crews on several occasions. However, Ukraine-related EU sanctions have eliminated this possibility, with the last known instance of Moscow’s assistance dating back to 2021 when a Russian Be-200 amphibious aircraft assisted Greek crews battling blazes on the island of Chios.

https://www.rt.com/russia/644067-russia-rebuffs-french-wildfire-conspiracy/

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French police have detained 420 people for allegedly starting fires deliberately or through serious negligence during a devastating wildfire season that has burned nearly 120,000 hectares across the country, according to the Interior Ministry.

France has experienced successive heatwaves this summer as exceptionally high temperatures have affected much of Europe. President Emmanuel Macron has described the wildfire crisis as potentially the country’s worst since World War II.

Prolonged heat and drought have dried vegetation, allowing small ignition sources to develop into fast-moving fires. More than 224,000 people were evacuated at the height of the crisis.

Officials said human activity caused nine out of ten wildfires in France. The cases include suspected arson as well as blazes attributed to discarded cigarettes, barbecues, campfires, and other reckless behavior.

Among those detained are 166 minors. An initial review of 80 suspects found that 97.5% were male, with an average age of 32.5. The group included students, repeat offenders, and volunteer firefighters.

The alleged motives vary widely, with some suspects reportedly acting out of revenge, for financial gain, to attract attention, or to challenge the authorities. Clinical pyromaniacs account for fewer than 5% of fire starters, according to experts cited by Le Figaro.

One case involves an unemployed 23-year-old man who is accused of starting around ten vegetation fires in the southeastern Var department between July 19 and 24. He was charged with destroying forests and scrubland by fire and causing irreversible environmental damage. The suspect faces up to 15 years in prison and a €150,000 ($175,000) fine if convicted.

Other cases include a young volunteer firefighter who confessed to “setting fire to twigs with a lighter and gasoline” before retracting the statement, and a man who claimed that he had “accidentally started the fire by throwing away his cigarette.” Both were indicted and placed in pretrial detention.

“The conditions for a charge of endangering lives are met for those who throw a cigarette butt or light a barbecue in wooded areas. It only takes a tiny spark for it to start,” Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul told Le Monde.

“In periods of drought such as this one, all you need is a simple lighter,” fire investigator Eric Dufayet explained.

https://www.rt.com/news/644049-420-arrested-devastating-fires-france/

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