Italian soldiers wounded in NATO friendly fire incident in Latvia
Photo: accidental shooting occurred from a Dardo armored vehicle (Getty Images)
An incident involving Italian military personnel occurred during NATO training exercises in Adazi, Latvia. As a result of "friendly fire," four Italian soldiers were injured, according to Il Sole 24 Ore.
During live-fire exercises, an armored vehicle carrying four soldiers of the Italian Army was hit by fire from a machine gun mounted on another military vehicle.
"A burst of machine-gun fire was accidentally fired from a ‘Dardo’ armoured vehicle at another vehicle of the same type travelling ahead of it with its tailgate open, perhaps because the soldiers were getting out of the vehicle," the article writes.
Following the incident, first aid was immediately provided to the four soldiers, one of whom was in more serious condition, and they were transported to a hospital in Riga, where they are currently receiving necessary treatment and undergoing examinations.
At present, the lives of the military personnel are not in danger. All of them have personally contacted their families; the fourth soldier, whose condition is considered the most severe, is in stable condition.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the circumstances of the incident continues.
Other incidents
On the night of August 26, 2024, Ukraine lost its first F-16 aircraft. The loss occurred during the repulsion of a massive attack by Russia, resulting in the death of pilot Oleksiy Mes, callsign "Moonfish."
Media outlets suggested that the possible cause of the crash could have been a malfunction of the aircraft or pilot error, but the so-called "friendly fire" version was also not excluded.
However, US officials told The New York Times that it was unlikely the F-16 fighter jet had been shot down by a Patriot air defense system.
