The search continues for four US soldiers who went missing during a training exercise near the city of Pabradė in Lithuania. NATO was quick to clarify a statement made by Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday in Poland, where he had mistakenly said that the soldiers had been killed.
‘Whilst I was speaking, the news came out about four American soldiers who were killed in an incident in Lithuania,’ Rutte said, extending his thoughts and prayers to their families and the United States. However, a NATO spokesperson later stressed that the Secretary General was not confirming the fate of the missing soldiers, which remains unknown. Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, who visited the training site late on Wednesday, also stated that no bodies had been found. ‘That’s why it would be wrong to say that the soldiers are dead,’ she told reporters.
‘Local media reports suggest the soldiers may have drowned after their M88A2 Hercules armoured recovery vehicle became trapped in swampy terrain’
According to an earlier statement by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the four soldiers went missing on Tuesday afternoon. They are members of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident.
Local media reports suggest the soldiers may have drowned after their M88A2 Hercules armoured recovery vehicle became trapped in swampy terrain. This assumption is reinforced by the discovery of a vehicle of the same type found submerged in water.
The US Army, in coordination with the Lithuanian Armed Forces and local law enforcement agencies, launched a large-scale search and rescue operation. Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, Commanding General of V Corps, expressed gratitude for the swift response, highlighting the strength of the partnership between US and Lithuanian forces.
Approximately one thousand US soldiers are currently stationed in Lithuania as part of the NATO multinational battlegroup led by Germany. This deployment forms part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), aimed at deterring Russia. There are also around 600 US troops each in Estonia and Latvia.
Last week Lithuania announced plans to mine its borders with Russia and Belarus, following Poland in strengthening its defences amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and rising concerns about a potential Russian incursion into NATO territory. On 18 March the three Baltic states and Poland jointly declared their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines.
‘Lithuania announced plans to mine its borders with Russia and Belarus, following Poland in strengthening its defences’
The soldiers went missing at the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area, located approximately 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the Belarusian border—Russia’s closest regional ally. The base serves as a key NATO facility in the Baltic region.
‘We truly appreciate and are grateful for the US presence here. We have created all the conditions for them to increase their military readiness,’ said Giedrimas Jeglinskas, Chairman of Lithuania’s National Security and Defence Committee. ‘Such events do indeed occur during large-scale joint military exercises, not only among the Americans but also in other armies. The aim is to reduce the likelihood of such things, but they are not impossible. If there was some kind of accident, lessons are learned, and safety requirements are increased,’ he added.
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