Overview

• The Bundeswehr has confirmed a €1.35 million invoice to the city of Wernigerode for helicopter deployments during the September 2024 Brocken wildfire.
• The costs were calculated in accordance with the Bundeswehr’s internal accounting regulations, which require aid costs to be passed on to requesting authorities.
• Wernigerode had previously reported receiving a total of €1.84 million in aid-related invoices, with the Bundeswehr’s charge constituting the majority.
• Exceptions to such charges typically require a cabinet decision, as seen during the Ahrtal floods and COVID-19 pandemic, but no such decision has been made in this case.
• Mayor Tobias Kascha has secured an extended payment deadline and is seeking a solution that does not jeopardize the city’s financial stability.