Four US soldiers and a tank vanished while on a training mission in Lithuania as a major search operation was launched. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte later confirmed they had died.
Lithuanian and foreign soldiers were deployed as part of the search after a report came in at around 4.45pm yesterday that four United States soldiers and a tracked vehicle went missing during an exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, Lithuania. Helicopters from the Air Force and State Border Guard Service were also deployed as part of the search. In an update on Wednesday, the Lithuanian Armed Forces confirmed a “possible location” of where they disappeared had been identified. Local media have since reported that the four men may have been killed.
“Currently, the possible location of the incident has been identified and a search and rescue operation is underway, led by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, with additional capabilities from the Fire Protection and Rescue Department and other institutions,” the Lithuanian Armed Forces said today. Sources told local outlet LRT it is believed the four US servicemen may have been killed, though this has not yet been confirmed by officials.
It has been reported, though not confirmed, that the soldiers may have been travelling in an M88 recovery vehicle at the time of their disappearance – one of the largest armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs) currently used by the US Armed Forces. The missing soldiers are said to be from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, according to the US military. They were taking part in “scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident”, the US Army said in a statement.
“I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,” said Lieutenant General Charles Constanza, the V Corps commanding general. “It’s this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders.”
Earlier, the police department said officials in Vilnius were informed at 7.20pm that three soldiers and a vehicle went missing after the training exercise in eastern Lithuania, though this has now been updated to four soldiers. Police are working to clarify the details of the incident and piece together what happened as the search operation continues.
Major Gintautas Ciunis, spokesman for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, told local media that the missing persons were foreigners and did not comment further on the situation. He said: “I can only say that they are foreign soldiers.”
Chairman of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence, Giedrimas Jeglinskas, told LRT RADIO he was aware of the disappearance, but did not provide any further details. Speaking to the radio station, the politician said: “There is a request from the military and the forces that were conducting the drills to exercise discretion at this time and not to make any comments.
“Le’ts be respectful, let’s allow all the prosecures to do their work. The police and all the elements that have to be involved are involved, these investigations are involved.”
The General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė lies less than 6 miles from the border with Belarus. Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are all NATO members, and have experienced chilly relations with Russia, a key ally of Belarus, since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.
Relations between the nations further soured over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda having been one of the most outspoken supporters of Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s forces.
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