At a time when Albania is going through a dramatic situation due to fires favored by extremely high temperatures and firefighting aircraft from EU countries from the Civil Protection Mechanism fleet are helping Albania cope with the situation, senior officials seem to be "hiding" behind propaganda, masking the truth about the degree of state preparedness for such emergencies.
On July 29, 2025, Defense Minister Pirro Vëngu publicly declared that “funds have been allocated, we have the budget and we have also completed the procedure for the purchase of two firefighting aircraft.” This statement came shortly after the publication by Faktoje of an article documenting that the Albanian government had not kept its promise to provide two firefighting aircraft for the summer 2025 fire season.
But how true is this statement?
What does the Ministry of Defense say?
Following this statement, Faktoje inquired about more details through a request for information. In its official response to Faktoje, the Ministry of Defense clarified that these are not firefighting aircraft, as Minister Vëngu claimed, but multi-role aircraft, which will also be equipped with capacities for extinguishing fires from the air. These aircraft are not dedicated to civil emergencies or firefighting, but will also have military functions.
Furthermore, contrary to the minister's statement claiming the completion of the purchase procedure, the Ministry admitted that the process is still ongoing:
"The purchase of these aircraft is in the process, which is nearing completion."
– Ministry of Defense for Facts
The Ministry also did not provide information on the cost of these aircraft, and refused to indicate the deadlines for when they will be delivered, justifying the classification as "for military purposes".
A story that repeats itself
This is not the first time that the Ministry of Defense has referred to these multi-role aircraft as a solution for dealing with fires. In September 2024, in another response to Faktoje, the institution predicted that the aircraft would be put into operation at the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026.
So, even a year later, neither the status of the procedure nor the lack of transparency has changed.
For this reason, Faktoje categorizes Minister Pirro Vëngu's statement as untrue.
At a time when the country faces dozens of active wildfires every summer and a limited emergency management system, more transparency and accountability are needed in public communication, not statements that do not stand up to the facts.
Factoje.al
