American armored vehicle pulled from swamp, search for soldiers continues
The operation to extract the American armored vehicle, Hercules, from the Lithuanian swamp was successful. However, four American soldiers who went missing during the exercises are still being searched for.
The effort to recover the American armored vehicle, Hercules, which sank in a Lithuanian swamp, ended successfully. Lithuania's Minister of Defense, Dovile Šakalienė, shared this information. The vehicle, operated by four American soldiers, was recovered using two M88 armored recovery vehicles and two bulldozers.
The operation to extract the vehicle was completed. Two M88 armored recovery vehicles and two bulldozers were used for stability and anchoring, stated the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency.
Minister Šakalienė reported that the operation wrapped up at 10:30 PM Eastern Time. The M88 Hercules armored vehicle, weighing nearly 154,000 pounds, sank in the swamp, which added significantly to its effective weight. On Sunday, divers managed to attach a steel cable to the vehicle, which allowed for its extraction.
The Lithuanian military police and American investigators are currently on-site. There is still no information regarding the missing US soldiers. Minister Šakalienė has urged patience, stressing that US authorities will be the first to disclose details about the missing personnel.
Search for the soldiers
Four American soldiers went missing on Tuesday during exercises at a training ground in Pabradė, near Lithuania's border with Belarus. Lithuanian and international military personnel, along with helicopters from the Lithuanian Air Force and State Border Guard Service, are engaged in the search and rescue operation. Rescuers from Poland have also joined the efforts.
The vehicle was found approximately 13 feet below the water's surface, buried under a 6.5-foot layer of mud. Extracting the vehicle posed significant challenges but was ultimately successful, thanks in part to international cooperation.
