Update at 23:10 on October 29
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has announced the names of the four Italian servicemembers killed in the CH-47 Chinook accident that occurred today, October 29, 2026, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the EUFOR Althea mission.
The four fallen
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Sergeant Simone Ruggia – Esercito Italiano, Aviazione dell'Esercito (AVES).
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Sergeant Claudio Marchesi – Esercito Italiano, Aviazione dell'Esercito (AVES).
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Lieutenant Franco Adriano Zecchillo – Corpo Militare Volontario della Croce Rossa Italiana.
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Sergeant Laura Procacci – Corpo Militare Volontario della Croce Rossa Italiana.
Below is the full message of condolence from Minister Crosetto:
“We waited until the tragic news of the death of their loved ones had been delivered to the families, and we wanted to avoid hundreds of other families enduring hours of anguish while waiting to learn the names of those involved.
Our temporary silence did not prevent the news of the loss of four of our servicemembers deployed on the Eufor Althea mission from spreading, causing despair among hundreds of people whose loved ones were deployed in Bosnia.
For hours, together with the Stato Maggiore Difesa, the Esercito and the Comando operativo di vertice interforze, I have been following the condition of the 11 injured personnel currently hospitalized
at the hospitals in Brcko and Tuzla, where we have sent Italian military medical personnel to closely monitor our troops.
Tomorrow morning, together with the Capo di Stato Maggiore della Difesa, we will travel to join our wounded personnel and the other servicemembers in Bosnia, accompanied by other Italian military medical specialists.
All the support we can provide will go to those who have served until today and now need it.
We share the grief of the families of Sergeant (EI AVES) Simone RUGGIA, Sergeant (EI AVES) Claudio MARCHESI, Lieutenant of the Corpo Militare Volontario della Croce Rossa Italiana (CRI) Franco Adriano ZECCHILLO, and Sergeant of the Corpo Militare Volontario della Croce Rossa Italiana (CRI) Laura PROCACCI, who lost their lives serving Italy, Defense and the Esercito.
The anguish and suffering caused by this tragic event will change what we had planned for the
Armed Forces Day on November 4. Beginning with the Defense Village, which will not be inaugurated tomorrow and will no longer be the setting for a celebration of gratitude toward the Armed Forces, but rather a place to show, through a prayer, a flower, a note or simply being there, our closeness to the fallen—Simone, Claudio, Franco and Laura—their families, and the Armed Forces.”
Link: https://www.difesa.it/primopiano/cordoglio-del-ministro-crosetto/116449.html
Update at 21:13 on 29 October
The Ministry of Defence officially confirmed the deaths of four Italian service members in the helicopter crash involving the EUFOR Althea mission, which went down on 29 October 2026 near Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The victims are two members of the Esercito Italiano and two members of the Corpo Militare Volontario della Croce Rossa Italiana (CRI).
There were a total of 15 people aboard the helicopter. The other 11 service members were injured, but, according to the Ministry of Defence, none is currently in life-threatening condition.
The Ministry immediately ordered the deployment of an Italian medical team to provide the injured with the highest level of medical support and the best possible care.
The Ministry of Defence also specified that further details of the incident will be made public only after the families of the four fallen personnel have been informed, in full respect of their grief and dignity.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, on behalf of the entire Ministry of Defence, expressed his deepest condolences and solidarity with the families of the victims, their loved ones and colleagues, stressing that the tragic loss affects the entire defence community:
«At this time of immense sorrow, 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 capable of filling such a great loss. Italy as a whole is grateful to our service members who lost their lives serving the country. We stand close to the injured, their families and all those enduring these dramatic hours. The Ministry of Defence is a community and, in the most difficult moments, it must demonstrate that it can be united, present and capable of caring for its men and women».
Investigations to determine the cause of the crash are still underway.
Link: https://www.difesa.it/primopiano/comunicato-stampa/116536.html
Update at 20:58 on 29 October
According to the latest updates, the toll stands at four dead and 11 injured. The deceased reportedly include two members of the Corpo Militare della Croce Rossa Italiana.
The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, expressed his condolences in a message addressed to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Luciano Portolano.
The full message from President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella
“I learned with deep emotion of the deaths of the service members in the tragic helicopter accident in the Bosnian theater of operations as part of Operation 'Althea'. In these sad circumstances, please convey to the Esercito Italiano and the Corpo Militare della Croce Rossa my condolences and heartfelt solidarity in the grief caused by this tragic event, asking them to express my closeness and solidarity to the families of the victims”.
Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, in a message addressed to Chief of Defence Staff General Luciano Portolano.
Update at 8:05 p.m. on October 29
Italy's Ambassador to Sarajevo, Sarah Eti Castellani, announced that she was traveling to the site where the Italian military helicopter crashed on the afternoon of October 29, 2026, in Brčko, northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Speaking via video link with Tg4, the Ambassador stated:
«Unfortunately, this helicopter from the Eufor Althea military mission crashed this afternoon in the northeast of the country».
Castellani also clarified that the circumstances of the accident have not yet been established:
«Eufor has confirmed that it is an Italian Army helicopter. The sequence of events in the accident, which reportedly occurred during takeoff from Brcko Airport, is not yet clear».
The Ambassador finally confirmed the presence of 15 Italians on board, stressing that the death and injury toll remains uncertain:
«We know there are fatalities and injuries, but the number is still uncertain. There were 15 Italian personnel on board».
Update at 8:02 p.m. on October 29
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on X:
Deeply saddened, I stand with our armed forces following the tragedy in Bosnia. My thoughts are with the families of the victims. A terrible disaster that shakes the hearts of all Italians. Italy’s Ambassador to Sarajevo is already heading to Brcko, the site of the accident. The Foreign Ministry will provide all necessary support. A prayer for our fallen and wounded personnel in the line of duty.
— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) October 29, 2026
Update at 19:55 on October 29
A CH-47 Chinook helicopter of the Esercito Italiano, deployed on the EUFOR Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, crashed this afternoon, October 29, in the Brčko region. The causes of the accident are still under investigation. Emergency responders arrived at the impact site.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences:
The Ministry of Defense officially confirmed the incident, specifying that no further statements can be released at this time pending more precise information, especially regarding the health conditions of the personnel involved. Link: https://www.difesa.it/primopiano/comunicato-stampa/116536.html
No official Italian casualty or injury figures are yet available, nor have their identities been released.
Further updates will follow.
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