German and Spanish chopper crews leaving Slovenia
Ljubljana, 17 August - Helicopter crews dispatched to Slovenia by the German and Spanish armed forces following devastating floods on 4 August completed their humanitarian missions on Thursday, the Slovenian military said. The crews of the three heavy-duty choppers have done an excellent job, the military said. Czech soldiers meanwhile remain in Slovenia.
Germany sent two CH-53 helicopters and crew to Slovenia as part of the EU's civil protection mechanism, as well as civil protection service members with two excavators, 16 other vehicles and two temporary bridges with their construction crews.
Spain dispatched a CH-47 helicopter and crew as part of NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC).
Lieutenant colonel Robert Špernjak, the deputy air force commander, thanked the crews for their exceptional work, the military said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Meanwhile, the Czech military posted on X that Czech engineers will be setting up temporary military bridges in the flood-hit areas.
The Slovenian Embassy in Prague has already expressed gratitude for the assistance. According to the government website, Czechia has sent three temporary bridges to Slovenia.