Search underway for 4 US Army soldiers missing in Lithuania

(CNN) — Hundreds of troops and emergency workers are racing to find four US soldiers who went missing during a training mission near Lithuania’s border with Belarus, the US Army said Thursday, after their armored vehicle was found submerged in a body of water.

The soldiers were reported missing in a training area near the city of Pabrade at approximately 4:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a Wednesday statement.

Members of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division had been carrying out a mission to recover another US vehicle in a scheduled training session, according to the US Army.

US and Lithuanian soldiers, law enforcement officials, and Lithuanian military helicopters and diving teams were part of the seismic operation, which ran through Thursday “without pause,” according to the US Army. Ground-search parties waded through thick forests and swampy terrain, which “complicated recovery efforts.”

It came after the US Army Europe and Africa confirmed that the M88 armored vehicle operated by the soldiers was found in a training area.

“The vehicle was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area after a search by US Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and other Lithuanian authorities,” the statement on Wednesday said. “Recovery efforts are underway by US Army and Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies. Search efforts for the Soldiers continue.”

Emergency crews were digging into a swamp, which was drained after the vehicle was discovered around 5 meters down, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defense said in a post on X Thursday.

Engineers created berms – strips of raised land – to help contain the surrounding water, which could be pumped and provide access to emergency personnel on site to the vehicle, the US Army said.

As of Thursday, there was “no evidence or information confirming any casualties,” Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. In a Thursday evening update on X, the defense ministry said that search and rescue efforts would “continue overnight.”

Asked Wednesday evening by reporters if he had been briefed about the missing soldiers, US President Donald Trump said: “No, I haven’t.”

US Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor insisted teams “will not stop” until the troops were found.

“This tragic situation weighs heavily on all of us and we’re keeping the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers and recovery team in our thoughts and prayers,” the commanding general of 1st Armored Division said on Thursday.

Lithuania’s Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said in a post on X that she was “deeply saddened” to hear about the missing soldiers.

“Everybody remains on standby, ready to provide emergency medical support,” she said. “Please rest assured that we will continue our efforts tirelessly.”

On Thursday, Šakalienė announced that Poland’s defense ministry was sending troops and engineering equipment to assist in the search and rescue operation.

The US has maintained a presence in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region since 2014, in an operation called “Atlantic Resolve,” following Russia’s invasion of Crimea.

Lithuania, a member of both NATO and the European Union, hosts hundreds of American troops, who are stationed on a rotational basis.

A US military camp named Camp Herkus was established in Pabrade in August 2021, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence announced in a statement at the time. It is equipped to house up to 700 soldiers, or 1,000 on a short-term basis, according to the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

This story has been updated with developments.

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