According to Lithuanian and U.S. military officials, the soldiers disappeared on Tuesday afternoon during a tactical drill near Pabradė, close to Lithuania’s border with Belarus. The troops belong to the U.S. Army’s 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division.
On Thursday, Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reported that the soldiers' armoured recovery vehicle, a 63-tonne Hercules M88, was found submerged in a body of water on the training grounds. The vehicle is designed for battlefield repair and towing operations.
Efforts to retrieve the vehicle are continuing. The terrain is marshy, and the recovery is being slowed by difficult conditions. Pumps were reportedly used overnight to remove water from the area.
Lithuania’s Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė confirmed that no bodies have been recovered. In a radio interview Thursday morning, she said authorities do not yet know whether the missing soldiers were inside the vehicle when it sank.
“All scenarios are still under investigation,” Šakalienė said.
The U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces, and local emergency services are working together in the search operation. The accident occurred during a NATO exercise involving multiple allied forces in eastern Lithuania.
Confusion grew following Rutte’s earlier statement, which prompted clarification from NATO’s spokesperson late on Wednesday.
“He referred to press reports and did not confirm the fate of the missing personnel, which remains unknown,” the spokesperson said in a post on platform X.
LRT also reported that Lithuanian authorities had visited the scene late Wednesday. According to officials, the recovery operation must be completed before any confirmation regarding the soldiers' condition can be made.
The incident is unfolding against a backdrop of heightened military activity in the region. NATO has stationed over 1,000 U.S. troops in Lithuania, with regular joint exercises taking place near the Belarusian border.
HT