American soldiers missing near Belarus border, rescue ongoing
At the Lithuanian training ground in Pabradė, four American soldiers have gone missing. Although the media has reported their deaths, Lithuanian authorities have stated that their fate remains unknown, and the search is ongoing.
The Polish Press Agency reports that four American soldiers went missing at the Lithuanian training ground in Pabradė, near the border with Belarus. The Lithuanian Minister of Defense, Dovile Szakaliene, stated that their bodies have not been found, and their deaths have not been confirmed.
Szakaliene, who arrived at the location with Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, mentioned that rescue operations were conducted throughout the night in the marshy area where the armored vehicle, Hercules, used by the soldiers, was found. Water is being pumped out, and the ground is being reinforced to allow access for heavy machinery without damaging the gas pipeline.
"There are certain positive signs that give hope for a quicker scenario, thanks to certain technical recovery possibilities," Szakaliene said in an interview with the public broadcaster RLT.
Planned tactical training
American soldiers were participating in planned tactical training when the incident occurred. The search is being conducted by the U.S. Army and Lithuanian armed forces.
The Minister of Defence assured that locating the missing soldiers remains a top priority for the military personnel.
On Wednesday, Lithuanian news portals, without citing official sources, reported that the missing soldiers are dead and their tracked vehicle was found submerged in water in the swamps. The information about the incident was confirmed by the U.S. Army Command in Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF).
The training ground in Pabradė, where about 1,000 American soldiers are stationed, is located about 9-12 miles from the border with Belarus. The soldiers have been there on a rotational basis since 2019, mainly as part of armored brigades.
