An Ilyushin Il-76 plane owned by the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations has contained today all large wildfires in Khosrov reserve in Armenia. Over the past 24 hours, it dropped more than 200 tons of water onto fires. Russian pilots were working in cooperation with Armenian ground fire and rescue crews.

The Russian plane and local firemen saved about 2,000 kinds of plants growing in Khosrov forest, the oldest natural reserve in Armenia, created in the 4th century AD by Armenian king Khosrov III Arshakid. 80 kinds of plants are in the Armenian Red Book. A lot of rare animals which are also in the Red Book such as leopards, lynxes, Armenian mouflons, wild goats, bears, wild boars, foxes, hears, martens, wolves, badgers, kites, eagles, rock doves can be found in the reserve of more than 29 thousand hectares in area.  

Following a request of the Armenia’s Government, the Russian Government had ordered the Emergency Ministry to send the Il-76 to Armenia to extinguish wildfires in Khosrov reserve.