Four U.S. Soldiers Still Missing in Lithuania After M88 Hercules Vehicle Sinks in Swamp

Rescuers in Lithuania continued efforts on Thursday to recover the vehicle of four U.S. soldiers who have been missing for two days after their armored recovery vehicle sank in a military training area, about 15km from Belarus.

U.S. military units have been rotating through the camp since 2019. The missing soldiers were participating in an exercise at the Pabrade training ground, where U.S. troops have been rotating since 2019. Their M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle was found submerged over five meters deep in a peat bog on Wednesday. Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said enough water had been drained to begin digging.

Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers, supported by dozens of vehicles, have been working at the site and searching surrounding woodland. Lithuanian Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaiksnoras emphasized the country's commitment to the effort, saying, "To us, their soldiers are like our soldiers."

U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Kara McDonald thanked Lithuania for its assistance, calling it a model ally. "As our secretary of defense said, we will not rest until our troops are found," she said.

Conflicting reports on the soldiers' status emerged after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated during a visit to Warsaw that the troops had died, though a NATO spokesperson later clarified that their fate remained unknown. Sakaliene also confirmed that no bodies had been recovered.

The search and rescue operation is expected to continue through the night. Lithuania has launched an investigation into the incident. The missing soldiers, all from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of their disappearance.