Austrian Armed Forces End Operation Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Slovakia

"Today our soldiers return to Austria, will maintain and prepare their equipment, and will then be ready for further missions," announced Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) in a statement on Monday morning. The AFDRU disaster relief unit of the Federal Army had been in operation around the clock with 53 soldiers since March 26.

Tanner thanks Federal Army soldiers for their mission against foot-and-mouth disease

The task of the Federal Army specialists was to support local forces in containing foot-and-mouth disease and thus prevent the spread of the virus. The soldiers decontaminated large vehicles at the Rajka border crossing between Hungary and Slovakia. In eleven days of operation, 6,400 large vehicles were decontaminated with 25,000 liters of chemicals and 250,000 liters of water, reported the ministry.

Defense Minister Tanner thanked the forces: The soldiers of the AFDRU unit "have contributed with their tireless efforts to at least slowing the spread of the disease, allowing further measures to be taken in other areas in a timely manner," explained the minister. "In these challenging days for all agricultural businesses in Slovakia and Austria, the strong cohesion in the European Union is once again evident."

The AFDRU team was activated as part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The mission was co-financed with funds from the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism. The "Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit" (AFDRU) is a special unit of the Federal Army for disaster relief missions at home and abroad. It specializes in technical assistance, decontamination measures, and humanitarian support and is part of the European Civil Protection Mechanism.

(APA/Red)

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