American armoured vehicle rescued; search for soldiers continues
The operation to extract the American armoured vehicle, Hercules, from the Lithuanian swamp was successful. Four American soldiers, who went missing during the exercises, are still being searched for.
The operation to retrieve the American armoured vehicle, Hercules, which sank in a Lithuanian swamp, was successful. This information was conveyed by Lithuania's Minister of Defence, Dovile Šakalienė. The vehicle, used by four American soldiers, was pulled out using two M88 armoured recovery vehicles and two bulldozers.
The operation to extract the vehicle was completed. Two M88 armoured recovery vehicles and two bulldozers were used for anchoring – said the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency.
Minister Šakalienė reported that the operation concluded at 10:30 PM Eastern Time. The M88 Hercules armoured vehicle, weighing nearly 70,000 kilograms, sank in the swamp, which significantly increased its weight. On Sunday, divers managed to attach a steel cable to the vehicle, enabling its extraction.
The Lithuanian military police and American investigators are currently working at the scene. There is still no information regarding the missing US soldiers. Minister Šakalienė appealed for patience, emphasizing that US authorities will be the first to reveal 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, were involved in the search and rescue operation. Rescuers from Poland also joined the efforts.
The vehicle was approximately 4 metres below the water's surface and under a 2-metre layer of mud. Extracting the vehicle was complicated but successful, also thanks to international cooperation.
