Four US soldiers missing in Lithuania's treacherous swamps
In Lithuania, searches are underway for four American soldiers who went missing during training exercises. Authorities have located the missing vehicle and are attempting to reach it. "There are swamps there. It's a very difficult area," the Pabradė Municipality Office reported.
What do you need to know:
- Where and when did the soldiers go missing? Four American soldiers went missing Tuesday afternoon at the Pabradė training ground, near the border with Belarus.
- What actions are being taken? Searches are being conducted by the U.S. Army and Lithuanian armed forces, with the participation of Air Force helicopters and the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service.
- Dramatic search efforts. Wirtualna Polska received information about the searches from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense.
The search for the four missing American soldiers is ongoing at the Pabradė training ground. As of Thursday morning, intensive efforts were still underway to retrieve the vehicle that sank in the swamp. As reported by the Lithuanian armed forces, a special dredger has been dispatched to the site to assist with the efforts.
"While waiting for the dredger to arrive, intense excavation work is ongoing, and attempts are being made to reach the sunken equipment," the Lithuanian military reported.
Present at the scene are the Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Dovilė Šakalienė, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, and U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Kara C. McDonald.
The search is being conducted in a very challenging and demanding area. The training ground in Pabradė is deep in the forest, surrounded by lakes and swamps. "There are swamps and a gas pipeline. It's a very difficult area and it will be hard to retrieve anything from there," stated the Pabradė Municipality Office.
"The area is closed to the public. There is one road leading to the training ground, but we do not have access to it. We know that Americans, Lithuanians, and Germans are stationed at the training ground," remarked the residents of Pabradė.
It’s a race against time
The operation is still ongoing at the scene. "The head of state receives all information. Currently, the main focus is on the search and rescue of the missing soldiers. It has been ongoing for two days and is quite a complicated operation, so the president thanks those involved in it. He also supports the families and comrades of the missing, offering hope for positive outcomes," announced A. Varnelis, advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda.
"I do not want to speculate about the conclusion of the operation, because at any moment, we are facing a challenge—it's flowing water, it's silt. I cannot answer this question precisely," said Lieutenant Aušrius Buikus, the commander of the operation on site. The military official noted that the vehicle could be located at a depth of 10 to even 16 feet.
"We are working at full capacity around the clock to reach the vehicle as quickly as possible. The gas pipeline is depressurized, the ground is stabilized, water is constantly being drained, and a device for cleaning channels to remove silt is on the way. Searches are ongoing," adds Minister Šakalienė.
