On Thursday, 29 October, an Italian CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the EUFOR mission crashed near the village of Gorice in the Brčko District in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to Bosnian media, at least three people were killed and 12 were injured; late in the evening, reports emerged of a fourth victim.
The EUFOR mission confirmed the incident on its account on X. According to the post, the Chinook belonged to Italy and crashed during routine training.
In its first statement, the mission reported an accident during a planned operation in the Brčko area and the crash of one of its aircraft. As the Sarajevo Times reports, citing Klix.ba, the crash happened at around 4:00 p.m. EUFOR says no civilian infrastructure, property or vehicles were damaged, and none of the injured were civilians.
Victims and injured
Brčko Mayor Siniša Milić told the Serbian broadcaster RTRS that three people had died and 12 had received medical care. According to the director of the local health centre, Jasmin Mehanović, one of the injured is in a life-threatening condition and will probably be transferred to the University Hospital in Tuzla. Klix.ba confirmed that all those killed and injured are Italian citizens.
Late in the evening, the Sarajevo Times, citing Klix.ba, reported that another injured person had died, which would mean four fatalities. The Italian Ministry of Defence, as reported by Reuters and cited in press reviews, confirmed the crash but has not yet released an official death toll. We therefore treat these figures as preliminary.
Circumstances of the crash
The cause is unknown. EUFOR has announced a detailed investigation, and the Italian Ministry of Defence has said that an inquiry is underway. According to eyewitness accounts cited by Bosnian media, the aircraft was flying low and spun several times in the air before hitting the ground. Mayor Milić said the helicopter came down in an uninhabited area not far from the first houses in Gorice. Firefighters are to remain at the site overnight.
The Italian Ministry of Defence notes that the army aviation unit of the 4th “Altair” Regiment has been operating in the mission since January 2026. It uses AB-205 multi-role helicopters and CH-47F transport helicopters.
Mission background
EUFOR Althea operates in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a mandate from the UN Security Council. It took over tasks from NATO forces in 2004 and oversees the military provisions of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Serbian media point out that this is the most serious accident involving this mission since 2008, when a Macedonian helicopter crashed and 11 people died. This information comes from media reports, not from a mission statement.
What it means
For Poland, no direct consequences are apparent: no reports indicate that Poles were among those affected. The Polish military takes part in the EUFOR mission, but the mission’s statement concerns only the Italian crew. As of publication, no investigation results or official list of victims have been announced. We previously reported on a similar case: the crash of the Ka-226 helicopter in Dagestan.
