An Italian Army CH-47F Chinook helicopter assigned to the European Union's EUFOR Althea mission crashed near Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on October 29, 2026, during routine training. There were 15 Italians on board. Four of them died: Army sergeants Simone Ruggia and Claudio Marchesi, and Italian Red Cross Military Corps Lieutenant Franco Adriano Zecchillo and Sergeant Laura Procacci. Italian media describe Ruggia and Marchesi as the aircraft's pilot and flight specialist, while Zecchillo served as a doctor and Procacci as a nurse. The 11 other people on board were injured and are reported to be in stable condition.

Early reports painted a slightly different picture, with three dead, 12 injured, and at least one person in critical condition at a regional hospital, before the figures were updated. The most pressing question is still unanswered, because investigators are still working to determine the exact technical cause of the crash. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced the names of the victims, and messages of sorrow have poured in from Italian and European leaders. For a mission built around keeping the peace, a deadly accident during an ordinary training flight has shaken many people. Until the investigation reports back, the full story of what happened in the air over Bosnia remains unknown.