The recent death of a Romanian soldier deployed in Afghanistan brings the death toll for Romania to 23 since 2002, when Romanian troops were deployed in the country for the first time.

Romanian sergeant major Claudiu Constantin Vulpoiu, 35, has died on Sunday morning (March 30) in Afghanistan, following a suicide attack when a vehicle loaded with explosives drove into the combat vehicle.

He has been an employee of the Romanian Ministry of National Defense since 2001 and had been in six other missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Second lieutenant Ionut Alin Marinescu, sergeant major Florin Ionel Murarescu and corporals class 3 Marius Cristian Canuci, Marius Bogdan Radu and Eugen Valentin Patru were also injured in the suicide attack.

The Romanian soldiers were on a patrol with three MRAPs (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles on the A1 route, 10 km away from the Forward Operating Base Mescall. After the attack, the soldiers were given first aid and then transported with a helicopter to the hospital in Kandahar.

There are currently 1,000 Romanian soldiers deployed to Afghanistan.

“Since 2002, when Romania has begun to help the reconstruction of this country, 23 soldiers died while on duty, while other 130 were injured,” reads a statement of the Romanian Ministry of Defence.

So far, the Romanian military has lost 26 soldiers in operations around the world, while other 140 have been injured.

As of 1991, about 40,000 troops were deployed in conflict areas to participate in peacekeeping operations.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com
(photo source: mapn.ro)