EU sanctions against Russia leave Spain exposed to deadly wildfires

The European Commission (EC) has confirmed that EU sanctions prohibit the supply of spare parts for Russian-made Ka-32 helicopters operated by Spain, preventing the aircraft from being used to fight wildfires, Commission spokesperson Siobhán McGarry said during a briefing in Brussels, TASS reports.

“It is clear to us that the relevant sanctions were adopted in October 2022, so this is not a new measure. At that time, a ban was approved on the import into the EU of aircraft — I can provide you with the customs codes — as well as spare parts for airplanes and helicopters.

Of course, these sanctions were adopted unanimously by the Council of the European Union. However, enforcement of the sanctions is the responsibility of the EU member states, so this question is better addressed to the Spanish government,” McGarry said in response to journalists' requests to confirm whether EU sanctions are preventing Spain from using its Russian-made Ka-32 firefighting helicopters to combat the unprecedented wildfires that have swept across Europe this summer.

Spain remains under exceptional wildfire pressure, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez describing the situation as “extreme” as multiple major blazes continue to burn across regions including Castilla y León and Castellón. 

Spanish authorities have warned that the wildfire emergency is far from over, saying the country faces several more days of critical fire weather despite progress in containing some of the largest blazes. Officials have cautioned that rising temperatures and shifting winds could quickly reignite fires that are currently under control.

According to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, the 2026 wildfire season remains well above the long-term average across the EU, with northern Spain continuing to face extreme to very extreme fire danger. The Copernicus-based European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) has warned that persistent heat and dry conditions continue to create a high risk of rapid fire spread across the Iberian Peninsula.

By Jeyhun Aghazada