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Ukrainian An-32P Firefighting Plane Joins Montenegro Wildfire Mission With UAE Backing
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
A Ukrainian-made firefighting aircraft, the An-32P, has been deployed to Montenegro to help battle wildfires under a mission supported by the United Arab Emirates, Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi reported on September 2.
The arrangement was finalized following talks between Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Initially, the plan called for short-term use of two Black Hawk helicopters, but as fires spread, the mission was expanded and extended.
According to Spajić, all expenses—including fuel and the Ukrainian crew’s work—are being covered by the UAE.
The aircraft is operated by XENA, a Ukrainian company founded in 2019 that pioneered commercial aerial firefighting using the An-32P.
Its crews, most of them former military pilots with over two decades of experience, have already gained a reputation for effectiveness in Turkey and Georgia. In Turkey alone, they carried out more than 900 sorties since 2021, delivering over 7 million liters of water to contain wildfires.
The An-32P is considered one of the most efficient firefighting planes in its class, capable of dropping up to 8 tons of water or fire retardant in a single run—eight times more productive than other mid-size aerial platforms.
Its tanks can be refilled in 10–15 minutes, allowing rapid turnaround for repeated strikes against advancing fire lines. The aircraft can also para-drop up to 27 smokejumpers, deliver firefighting equipment, or conduct airlifts of vehicles, cargo, and even medical evacuations.
Designed on the basis of the An-32, the An-32P carries four detachable 2,000-liter tanks that can discharge fire-retardant fluid either simultaneously or sequentially, depending on mission needs.
Beyond firefighting, it can be adapted for cloud seeding to trigger rainfall over burning areas or reconfigured into a standard transport plane within airport conditions.
Earlier, reports emerged that a subsidiary of Ukraine’s aviation giant Antonov will construct a new hangar for the maintenance and servicing of An-124 “Ruslan” aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany.
