Press release

Immagini messe a disposizione con licenza
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 DEED

It is with profound sorrow that the Ministry of Defence announces that, following an accident involving an Italian helicopter deployed as part of the EUFOR Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, four military personnel have lost their lives: two members of the Italian Army and two members of the Italian Red Cross Voluntary Military Corps (CRI).

A total of 15 people were on board the aircraft. The eleven injured are receiving the necessary medical care and, at present, none of them is in life-threatening condition. The Ministry of Defence has immediately arranged for an Italian medical team to be deployed to provide the injured with the greatest possible support and the best possible care.

The causes of the tragedy are currently under investigation. The necessary inquiries have already been launched to reconstruct the sequence of events and establish the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, together with the entire Ministry of Defence, extends heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, their loved ones and their colleagues, sharing in the grief over a loss that affects the entire defence community.

“At this moment of immense grief, my thoughts are first and foremost with the families of our fallen personnel, to whom I extend my personal condolences and those of the entire Ministry of Defence. There are no words that can ease a loss of such magnitude. The men and women in uniform who lost their lives while serving their country have earned the gratitude of the entire Italian nation. We stand alongside the injured, their families and everyone enduring these dramatic hours. The Ministry of Defence is a community, and in the most difficult moments, it must demonstrate its ability to stand united, to be present and to care for its men and women.”

Our fallen personnel have earned the gratitude of the Nation for their service to Italy. We extend our deepest support to the injured military personnel and their families, together with our wishes for a swift and full recovery.

The Ministry of Defence released details of the accident only after the families of the fallen personnel had been informed, in full respect for their grief and dignity.