MADRID, July 28. /TASS/. Spain has lost its edge in battling forest fires due to the absence of Russian Kamov helicopters, even as wildfires continue to rage across the kingdom, the 20 Minutos newspaper reports.

The helicopters currently under contract carry 25% to 30% less water than the aircraft deployed a few years ago, according to the publication. Although Spain received its first Black Hawk helicopter last week which, along with the Chinook models, can drop up to 4,300 liters of water it comes with a significantly higher price tag than the aircraft currently being used to fight the blazes. The decline in firefighting capacity is driven by several factors. The newspaper highlights inadequate funding for renting top-tier aircraft, poor planning, the conflict in Ukraine, and anti-Russian sanctions that have grounded the Kamov fleet.

The report notes that the Russian aircraft, capable of dropping between 4,000 and 5,000 liters of water per run, were considered the best in their class and were widely used by European countries until recently. However, due to sanctions, European firefighting operations have virtually stopped using these helicopters since last year.

An additional grievance raised by the industry is the government's failure to invest in renting comparable alternatives to the Russian models. While American Chinooks and Black Hawks are available, operating them in Spain requires special permits. Furthermore, renting them is roughly three times more expensive than the helicopters the government contracted last year for a three-season firefighting period running through 2027.

Spain is currently battling several massive forest fires. The largest blazes are ripping through the Community of Madrid and the province of Avila (Castile and Leon). The fire, which has scorched around 77,000 hectares, is still not contained, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents for their safety.