Mystery surrounds missing U.S. soldiers at Lithuanian base
At the Lithuanian training ground in Pabradė, four American soldiers are missing. Although media outlets have reported their deaths, Lithuanian authorities maintain 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 Defence, 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, conveyed that rescue operations were carried out throughout the night in the marshy area where the armoured vehicle Hercules, used by the soldiers, was found. Water was being pumped out and the ground was being reinforced to enable access for heavy machinery without causing damage to 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 soilders 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 15-20 kilometres from the border with Belarus. The soldiers have been there on a rotational basis since 2019, mainly as part of armoured brigades.
