Sweden sends two firefighting planes to help battle forest fires in France

This is being done following a request from the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, writes Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M), Minister for Civil Defence, in a post on X.

Cyprus is also sending planes. A total of four planes are being sent via the Civil Protection Mechanism, writes EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.

“Europe stands by France,” she writes.

There are currently around 20 fires burning in France, according to the country's interior minister. In the southwest of the country, near the city of Perpignan, firefighters are struggling to control a huge forest fire that has forced around 10,000 people to evacuate.