Accident during exercises of Italian soldiers in Latvia

The incident occurred during the training of the contingent participating in the NATO Forward Land Forces mission in Latvia. The vehicle hit by fire contained four soldiers of the Italian army from the 11th Bersalier Regiment.

The Italian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the vehicle was hit by non-automatic weapons.

According to Sky TG24, citing sources familiar with the matter, an accidentally fired burst from a machine gun was allegedly fired from the Dardo armored personnel carrier towards an identical vehicle traveling in front of it.

The rear ramp of the second transporter was open. According to the same sources, the soldiers were able to get out of the vehicle at that time.

The injured were immediately treated and then transported to a medical facility in Riga. The three injured are said to be feeling well and have already contacted their loved ones.

The condition of the fourth soldier was described as more serious but stable. The Ministry of Defense assured that none of the injured was in immediate danger to life.

The Italian Ministry of Defense announced the commencement of activities aimed at determining the causes and reconstructing the course of the incident. The soldiers' families were notified about the incident.

Minister Guido Crosetto receives information on the condition of the injured and the course of proceedings from the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Luciano Portolano, and the Commander of the Italian Joint Operational Command, General Giovanni Maria Iannucci.