Night and day in defence of citizens

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic have appointed today Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic as Chief of Emergency Response Team in Sabac.

Last night and today, members of the Serbian Armed Forces continuously provide assistance to citizens in the areas affected with floods caused by heavy rains.

The Serbian Armed Forces is engaged in Sabac, Obrenovac, Ub, Valjevo, Trnava, Razanj, Doljevac, Aleksinac, Pojate, Kosjeric, Loznica, Svilajnac, Trstenik, Kucevo, Malo Crnice...

Since this morning, six helicopters of the Serbian Armed Forces have been in the air to evacuate 824 people were from Obrenovac to Batajnica Airport, to Jakovo and Baric, and medical aid was also transported. On return to Obrenovac for further evacuation, military helicopters carry food and water for the affected citizens. Evacuation by air continues, and in this situation people are evacuated to "Milan Tepic" barracks in Jakovo.

Information about persons evacuated from Obrenovac who are in the "Major Milan Tepic" barracks in Jakovo can be obtained at telephone 066/8712-480.

In Sabac, where the swollen Sava threatened to flood tens of thousands of houses, there is the Serbian CHOD General Ljubisa Dikovic. According to General Dikovic, more than 6,000 citizens, members of the MoI, the Serbian Armed Forces worked hard all the night on the ground, and the result of this work is absolute protection of the city of Sabac.

- The situation in Sabac is now under control, and I can say with pleasure that we succeeded, General Dikovic said this morning. - When we started I was not optimistic. There were a lot of organisational problems, but after a while everything came to its place

General Dikovic thanked all citizens who took part last night together with the army and the police in the construction of bulwark on the Sava river. These walls were constructed at the level of 730 centimetres.

- I thank those who have expressed a desire to continue to help, but there is no need for that at the moment, because tonight, with a remarkable work of all, we managed to accomplish the task, the Chief of General Staff said.

Sabac is defended from the swollen Sava by 200 cadets of the Military Academy and 200 soldiers in voluntary military service.

In Svilajnac, until this morning, members of the Special Brigade took part in the evacuation and rendering assistance to the residents of this municipality.

- Nothing is difficult for us, we just wish to help these people as much as possible and we will stay as long as necessary, says Bozo Vukic, professional soldier of the 15th Tank Battalion, who has been with his fellow soldiers and officers of the First Army Brigade for two days in the affected areas around Lesnica.

Units of the First Brigade in Sremska Mitrovica are ready for further engagement. Along with soldiers there are Major General Vojin C. Jondic, Chief of Operations Department of the General Staff, and the Brigadier General Stojan Batinic, Commander of the Brigade, and in Sremska Mitrovica, Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic is on the ground. At the meeting of Emergency Response Team of Sremska Mitrovica, where besides Minister Gasic and generals Jondic and Batinic, there were National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojkovic and Bishop Porpfirije, a decision was made on the preventive and partial evacuation of the city.