Spanish troops were participating in the NATO exercise “Steadfast Defender 24” in Poland when the explosion of a mortar grenade caused the death of Spanish soldier Germán Billy Palacios Aguilar. The incident occurred at the Bemowo Piskie training area, about 65 kilometers south of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. The projectile exploded inside the tube, resulting in the death of the soldier and injuries to another soldier’s eardrum. The investigation will determine whether the explosion was caused by a fault in the tube, the grenade, or human error in handling the grenade.
Germán Billy Palacios Aguilar, a father of two daughters with a third child on the way, was originally from Ecuador and was 43 years old. He had joined the Spanish Army in 2004 as a soldier and was currently serving in the Grupo de Regulares 54 in Ceuta. He had received the Bronze Cross for Constancy in Service and the Commemorative Medal for Operation Balmis, which recognized his contribution to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Defense and the Spanish Embassy in Warsaw are working on repatriating Palacios’ body in the coming days.
The accident occurred during a tactical exercise with live fire as part of the Saber Strike exercise in the framework of Steadfast Defender 24. Approximately 600 Spanish soldiers from the Infantry Battalion San Quintín and the Grupo de Regulares de Ceuta number 54 were participating in the exercise, along with engineering and logistics units from Ceuta. The troops had departed from Gijón, Spain, for Gdansk, Poland, on April 12. Steadfast Defender is NATO’s most significant exercise since the Cold War, involving over 90,000 soldiers, 50 ships, 80 aircraft, and 1,100 combat vehicles from 32 member countries.
Steadfast Defender aims to test and improve the interoperability of allied armies in a hypothetical conflict with Russia. The Saber Strike exercise, where the Spanish soldier tragically lost his life, is led by the US Army’s 5th Corps and features military personnel from various NATO countries. The exercises take place from January to June along the Eastern border of Europe, involving countries like Sweden, Norway, Romania, and Georgia. The tragic incident led to President Pedro Sánchez and opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo offering their condolences to the soldier’s family and the Spanish Army.
The death of Germán Billy Palacios Aguilar highlights the risks faced by military personnel during training exercises and the importance of safety protocols and equipment maintenance. The Spanish Army and NATO will conduct thorough investigations to determine the cause of the explosion and prevent similar incidents in the future. The soldier’s sacrifice is a reminder of the dedication and bravery of all military personnel who serve their countries in challenging and unpredictable circumstances.
