As a result of NATO mortar exercises held in Lithuania on November 29, a Belgian serviceman sustained serious injuries and soon died in a medical facility, as reported by the Kazinform publication.
Belgium's Minister of Defense Theo Francken and Chief of Staff Frederic Vancina confirmed this information to European media. Following the incident, the Belgian federal prosecutor's office has launched an investigation.
The deceased soldier, whose name has not been disclosed, served in an artillery battalion in Brasschaat. Since June of this year, about two hundred Belgian servicemen have been deployed to Lithuania as part of a multinational NATO mission, which includes combat groups stationed in eight Eastern European countries.
A federal judge and two detectives from the Belgian federal police, specializing in military crime investigations, arrived at the scene of the tragedy on Saturday.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed his condolences on social media, noting that the Belgian military participating in the NATO mission in Lithuania "play an important role in ensuring the security of the country and the entire Alliance," adding: "Their dedication and sacrifices will never be forgotten."
