American soldiers missing in Lithuanian mud: Rescue hopes fade
The fate of the American soldiers missing during exercises near Pabradė in Lithuania remains unknown. Services have yet to reach the vehicle's interior, which ended up approximately 5 metres beneath the mud. Military experts assert that if the crew had been inside, only a miracle could have saved them.
The M88 is a 69-tonne vehicle designed for evacuating tanks and other heavy equipment from the battlefield during combat. It was developed based on the M60 tank. Four American soldiers, considered missing, may have been inside it for nearly two days. During Tuesday’s exercises, the military vehicle got trapped in the soft terrain, sinking at least 5 metres into the mud and water. The rescue operation is ongoing, but conditions are exceptionally challenging, and the chances of finding the soldiers alive are minimal.
Military expert Major (res.) Darius Antanaitis told the Lithuanian outlet Delfi that if the vehicle was submerged and the soldiers failed to get out right away, the chances of survival would be extremely low. He explained that being trapped in mud and water inside a sealed vehicle leaves almost no possibility for rescue.
One person uses 6 to 8 litres of oxygen per minute. Considering the space inside is small and the vehicle is not a submarine, the likelihood of survival is slim. Nonetheless, the Lithuanian emphasised that it is always worth hoping for miracles. He noted that the lack of immediate contact with the crew reduces the chances of success in the rescue operation.
Accident or service actions?
Dr. Maciej Milczanowski, a former soldier and UN mission participant from the Institute of Political Science at the University of Rzeszów, explained that the incident seems to be a tragic training ground accident. He cautioned against jumping to dramatic conclusions, noting the absence of any evidence. According to him, large-scale exercises inherently carry the risk of accidents, shootings, or equipment failures—hazards that are part of a soldier’s line of work.
This was in reference to suggestions that the disappearance of American soldiers occurred at a time of heightened tensions between NATO and Russia. Lithuania, as a key member of the Alliance on the eastern flank, regularly reports possible provocations by Russian services. The training ground is located near the Belarus border.
On Thursday morning, Defence Minister Dovile Šakaliene stated that the water level at the site had been lowered enough to begin excavation. She emphasized that there is no certainty that the soldiers are inside the vehicle and added that all possible scenarios will be taken into account until they are found.
Disappearance of American soldiers in Lithuania – what is known so far?
As reported by the Lithuanian army in a statement, on Tuesday at 15:45 GMT, the command received a report that four American soldiers, along with a tracked vehicle, went missing during exercises near Pabradė.
The military vehicle got stuck in the soft terrain and was completely submerged in the water and mud. Four American soldiers were aboard. The search and rescue operation continues, but progress is very slow due to difficult terrain conditions.
Lithuanian MP Dovilė Sakaliene, who visited the site, confirmed that the area resembles extensive wetlands and the vehicle is stuck in the mud, significantly hindering the rescue operation.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence conveyed that the rescue operation is being conducted in cooperation with American military services. So far, contact with the vehicle's crew has not been established. Intense efforts are underway to recover the submerged vehicle, and simultaneously, searches for the missing soldiers around the training ground continue.
