Army to increase disaster management staff

Last month, two Hungarian helicopters assisted in combatting a wide-spread wildfire in Slovenia, and other countries, including Hungary, can be facing similar challenges in the near future, he said.

In case of a natural disaster in Hungary, 250 servicemembers will be able to perform simpler tasks, while working groups were assigned to operate machines and perform more complex duties, Ruszin-Szendi said. The army is also performing logistical and health-care tasks, he said.

Meanwhile, Hungary has also taken over the air defence duties over Baltic states, within a NATO agreement. Hungarian Gripen fighter jets continue to patrol Slovenian and Hungarian airspace too, he said.

At the same time, tensions are rising in Kosovo, where the NATO forces are under the command of a Hungarian general, Ruszin-Szendi said. “They are doing everything in our power to de-escalate the situation and ensure peace and security for locals,” he said.