Lithuania marks 30th anniversary of first restored army officer’s death in Bosnia

Lithuania on Friday commemorated the 30th anniversary of the death of Lt. Normundas Valteris, the first officer of the restored Lithuanian Armed Forces to die in an international mission, the defence ministry announced.

Valteris, a senior lieutenant, was killed on April 17, 1996, while serving in NATO’s IFOR peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina when his armoured vehicle struck an anti-tank mine near Maglaj. A Danish soldier also died in the blast, while two others were injured.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas described Valteris’ service and sacrifice as “an inseparable part of the history of the Lithuanian Armed Forces,” stating it demonstrated Lithuania’s commitment to strengthening international security and defending shared values beyond its borders.

To mark the anniversary, Valteris’ fellow officers—known as the “Bosnian Seven”—are holding memorial events in Lithuania and Bosnia. After visiting his grave in Šiauliai, the group travelled to the site of his death near Maglaj, with plans to continue to Croatia to meet the family of another Lithuanian soldier who served and died abroad.

The journey follows a tradition established in 2021, when seven of Valteris’ comrades erected a memorial stone near the explosion site, funded by Lithuanian soldiers, civilians, and defence institutions. The area remains partially uncleared of mines, so the monument was placed 600–700 metres away. Inscriptions in Lithuanian, Bosnian, and English honour his memory.

Valteris is also commemorated in Lithuania: Šiauliai’s Rėkyva Progymnasium hosts a museum in his name, while the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy preserves his legacy with historical exhibits and a memorial stone on campus. He was posthumously awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Cross of Vytis and a NATO service medal.

The group will also express gratitude to Maglaj municipality and EUFOR representatives for maintaining the memorial site.