Ukraine’s Fire Killers
Since their establishment in 2019, Xena LLC, a subsidiary of Expedition Aviation based in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine has achieved success and continued growth thanks to their highly experienced team and unique aerial firefighting assets. Stewart Marshall spoke with their CEO Roman Mileshko and joined their team on firefighting operations.
Introduction
Xena is the product of over 20 years of operational expertise, driven by a close-knit team of seasoned aviators who have accumulated thousands of flight hours in the most demanding and austere environments. As a subsidiary of Expedition Aviation Group, Xena benefits from its parent company’s specialisation in mission aviation, offering comprehensive services primarily focused on humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
The CEO of Expedition Aviation Group, Mr. Roman Mileshko, is a veteran pilot with a distinguished background. Having served in Ukraine’s Naval Aviation units, Mr. Mileshko gained invaluable experience leading aviation detachments for multinational air exercises and peacekeeping operations across Africa and the Middle East. After his military service, he transitioned to the commercial aviation sector, continuing to organize and manage aviation programs.
"When I founded Expedition Aviation in 2015, our first contract was to support the African Union mission in Somalia. We provided helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to assist peacekeeping forces. In this region, nothing was more suitable for the job than Antonov aircraft, as they could operate without support and land on unpaved runways. At that time, we didn’t yet have an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), so we enlisted another operator to fly Antonov An-26s on our behalf. However, we quickly realized that we couldn't maintain excellence without direct control over maintenance and operational oversight."
Recognising that owning and operating their own aircraft was the key to future growth, the company acquired its first Antonov An-26 and obtained a Ukrainian AOC. Shortly after, they secured contracts with the United Nations, as well as the French and German governments, providing services on their behalf in Africa. The increasing demand from these projects led to rapid expansion, with the fleet growing from just one Antonov An-26 to twelve within three years, alongside a number of Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters. The company later expanded further by leasing Antonov An-74s and, over time, has built extensive expertise in operating all of the medium-sized Antonov models in these specialised markets.
By 2019, Expedition was exploring other specialised markets where they could leverage their esteemed Antonov aircraft. An opportunity soon arose to acquire an Antonov An-32 (UR-UZH) at auction, which had been converted into the water bomber "An-32P Fire Killer" variant. Remarkably, this An-32P was the former Antonov Design Bureau demonstrator, serial number 2901, which had previously been registered as UR-48086. It had captivated audiences at the Moscow and Malta Airshows in 1995, shortly after its production. The airframe saw intermittent use in firefighting operations alongside global airshow appearances until 2012, when it was stored at Gostomel Airport near Kyiv. It remained parked there for several years before finally being acquired by Expedition in 2019.
Fire Killer Run Down
The Antonov An-32 was initially produced at the request of the Indian Air Force, equipped with powerful Ivchenko AI-20D engines. The larger AI-20 engines provide a telltale visual difference over the older Antonov An-26 model with the nacelles being mounted high above the wing to protect the propellers from foreign object damage (FOD) on rough airstrips. This design also allows the An-32 to operate more effectively in high altitudes and hot, adverse weather conditions, with improved high-lift wings and better take-off performance than the An-26. The improvements have enabled operations in ambient air temperatures up to +55 degrees Celsius (131 Fahrenheit) and airfield elevations up to 4,500 meters (14,763 feet) above sea level.
Converting a standard Antonov An-32 transport aircraft into the An-32P firefighting variant involves fitting it with specialized external tanks for water or retardant along with a release system controlled by the pilots. Four tanks are installed with a combined capacity of 8000 liters which can be filled in less than 5 minutes through a range of applications. Modifications to the cabin are also carried out as it remains fully functional despite the additional tanks being added. The interior overhaul includes new lighting, panel walls, windows, floors, seat tracks, and intercom systems which makes it truly multi-role, laying the foundations to enable quick role conversions. The rear ramp is modified to accommodate paradrops of up to 27 smokejumpers and their equipment, which are highly trained wildland firefighters who parachutes into remote areas to combat wildfires in their early stages. It can alternatively accommodate up to 24 stretches to evacuate injured personnel or up to 6,700 kilograms of general cargo. An impressive internal crane fitted to the ceiling of the cabin allows items up to 3,000kg to be lifted from the ground up onto the rear ramp.
The An-32P has undoubtedly added unique capabilities to the company's expanding fleet. Familiar with Antonov models and their Ukrainian aviation heritage, Expedition anticipated no difficulties integrating the new aircraft. However, Mileshko recalled that despite their extensive experience with Antonov types, the acquisition presented a fresh set of challenges:
“When we bought our first An-32P, we became the only civilian operator of the type in the world. Although civilian certification for the aircraft has existed since 1995, there were no current pilots or mechanics certified to operate it, which meant we had to invest significant time in training personnel. Alongside this, we had to modernise the onboard avionics to meet ICAO standards for global operations. The new company we set up for aerial firefighting, Xena LLC, essentially had to build everything from scratch. It took us two years to get to a point where we were finally ready to tender for contracts.”
When Xena was ready to begin operations, Turkey was experiencing a particularly challenging firefighting season and was keen to bring in additional support from abroad. Xena swiftly deployed their An-32P to assist.
Türkiye Operations
In Turkey, the General Directorate of Forestry (Orman Genel Müdürlüğü or "OGM") is the national body responsible for wildfire fighting. The OGM operates a limited fleet of firefighting aircraft, including the AT-802 Fireboss and the S-70i helicopter, which is built under licence by Turkish Aerospace Industries. As a result, the OGM is allocated a substantial budget each year to contract additional fixed-wing and rotary firefighting assets. These assets are provided by private international companies, which come from as far afield as the United States and Russia's Siberian region.
In 2021, Xena secured an emergency contract from the OGM to base their aircraft at Dalaman Airport on Turkey's southwestern coast. During the peak summer months, the country faced its worst wildfire season on record, with over 200 wildfires burning through 1,700 square kilometres (1,056 square miles) of forest in Turkey's Mediterranean region. The scale of the wildfires overwhelmed the Turkish authorities, who requested international assistance, creating an opportunity for Xena to enter a well-established market shortly after their first aircraft was declared ready for operations.
Each day during the fire season, the Xena aircrew assemble at sunrise at their base within Dalaman Airport, located just metres from the aircraft, ensuring they can respond at a moment’s notice if needed. They remain on standby until sunset every day. The OGM headquarters in the Turkish capital monitors the country’s wildfire risk with a fleet of Bayraktar drones, Bell 429 helicopters, and Beechcraft 350ER Kingairs, all equipped with advanced infrared cameras to detect the thermal energy or heat from emerging fires. When the OGM calls upon the Xena crew, they are contractually required to have their wheels rolling on the tarmac within 20 minutes of receiving the alert.
Captain Oleh Maksimov, a seasoned An-32P pilot, shared an overview of the preparations that take place before responding to a call:
“When the request comes in, we receive the coordinates of the wildfire, which we input into 3D modelling software. This allows us to pre-plan both the ingress and egress routes, checking the terrain for any potential obstacles. The water drop itself happens just 40-60 metres (130-195 feet) above the ground, so thorough preparation is essential. We also carry out flight planning and weight calculations to determine whether we can reach the fire directly from Dalaman or if we need to refuel at a closer airport. Since we can be tasked with responding to fires anywhere in the country, we may need to factor in up to 90 minutes of transit time."
The An-32P requires a crew of three: two pilots and a navigator. However, during firefighting operations, a flight engineer and two technicians also accompany the aircraft, as they may be deployed to different locations for extended periods if a large fire is ongoing. The crew often endures grueling 12-hour shifts, making it essential to have personnel on hand to ensure the aircraft remains in optimal condition. Additionally, the OGM assigns a Turkish pilot to fly with every contracted aircraft, tasked with managing communications and contributing to flight safety. The OGM pilot helps with flight planning, checking for NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) or military airspace restrictions that may impact the flight path. They also coordinate with OGM representatives on the ground or onboard surveillance aircraft, who direct air traffic and specify which areas require intervention as the fire progresses.
Despite their careful planning and extensive experience, Captain Maksimov acknowledges that significant risks remain, which must always be carefully considered:
“The greatest danger to us is the smoke produced by the fires. If we fly into smoke, the visual impairment can cause us to lose sight of obstacles and become disoriented, making it difficult to see the horizon. Another concern is that thick smoke can deprive the engines of oxygen, potentially causing them to stall, which is extremely hazardous at low altitudes. For these reasons, we never fly through smoke. Instead, we assess its direction and plan to maintain a safe distance.
We also need to remain highly aware when working on major fires, as there can be ten or more aircraft operating in close proximity. The OGM does a good job coordinating air traffic, but with so many different nationalities and languages involved, other aircraft sometimes inadvertently cross our flight path. So, we always keep a close eye on both visual cues and the TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System), ready to manoeuvre if needed.”
Between June and September 2025, the dedicated Xena crews stationed in Turkey carried out 370 water drops on wildfires across the country.
Preparing a Resilient Future
The Xena team has established itself as a highly effective asset in combating wildfires across Turkey, with the Fire Killer proving more cost-efficient and productive than some of their Western competitors. This success has resulted in the company being contracted to continue operations in the country through to the end of summer 2028.
After their second successful season in Turkey, Xena made the decision to expand by acquiring a second An-32P. However, once again, this wasn’t a straightforward process, as no converted firefighting models were available on the market. Their next acquisition was a 1991-built An-32A, previously operated by the Peruvian carrier ATSA (registration OB-1962-P). The ferry flight from South America took place in September 2023, with stops in Colombia, Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and Czechia. Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the aircraft couldn’t be delivered directly to the company’s headquarters in Zaporizhzhia. Instead, it was positioned in Trenčín, Slovakia, where the conversion to the firefighting variant was carried out by Letecké opravovne Trenčín, a.s. (LOTN), a local maintenance and overhaul shop that had previously worked on Expedition Aviation’s An-26 and An-74 fleets.
The overhaul and conversion were completed by May 2024, with the necessary parts from Antonov shipped by road from Ukraine. The second aircraft, UR-UZQ, was then immediately dispatched to Turkey, where it has since been contracted on an ad-hoc basis.
In August 2025, Xena secured a contract to deploy an An-32P to Montenegro, which was grappling with unprecedented wildfires across the country. The contract is fully funded by the UAE government until October 2025, with the option to extend support for the entire summer of 2026. These recent developments highlight the growing recognition and confidence in the company's services. Wildfires are becoming more frequent worldwide, particularly in the form of extreme and destructive events, which have more than doubled in frequency since 2003. This trend, largely driven by climate change, means that the demand for services like those provided by Xena will only increase in the years ahead.
Xena has already acquired a third aircraft (UR-UZR), which can be quickly converted if a new opportunity arises. Their analysis suggests that there are over 90 An-32 airframes worldwide that could be acquired and converted, enabling them to expand and meet the future demand for wildfire suppression services.
The author would like to pass on their thanks to Roman Mileshko, Kseniia Bukshyna and Vlad Baliuk for their assistance in producing this feature.
