Wildfires in Greece, Albania, Spain, Portugal and Italy have caused widespread damage. At least two people have been killed and thousands face evacuation.View on euronews

Firefighters were struggling to tame blazes in several countries in southern Europe, including Albania, Greece, Montenegro and Spain, and in Turkey.

Europe’s wildfire crisis intensified as blazes across Greece, Spain, France and Portugal forced thousands to from their homes — killing at least six and consuming over 1 million acres amid record heat and worsening climate conditions.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that between 11:00 and 14:00 Moscow time today (09:00 and 12:00 BST), 10 Ukrainian drones were “intercepted and destroyed” across Russia. Eight were in the Belgorod region and two in Krasnodar Territory, southern Russia.

Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.

A blaze has reportedly killed 26 horses in their stables, alongside a 55-year-old man who died trying to save them, as wildfires continue to devastate southern Europe. The man suffered burns to 98 per cent of his body in the fire north of Madrid, and died in hospital after being flown there by helicopter, the Guardian reported.

Outside the Greek port city of Patras, firefighters struggled to protect homes and agricultural facilities as flames tore through pine forests and olive groves.

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As flames engulf southern Europe, a sense of urgency and despair fills the air. Residents flee, landscapes transform, and the world watches in disbelief.