Search continues for four US soldiers that went missing on Tuesday during an exercise in eastern Lithuania. The armoured vehicle they were operating has been found sunk in water.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday evening that the four American soldiers were killed, according to a Reuters report.
“Whilst I was speaking, the news came out about four American soldiers who were killed in an incident in Lithuania,” Rutte told reporters in Warsaw on Wednesday evening, adding that he did not know any details.
However, the Lithuanian Armed Forces subsequently said that there was no evidence that the missing soldiers were indeed dead.
“At the moment, there is no evidence or information confirming the death of the troops. A LTU Armed Forces-led rescue operation is intensively ongoing,” the military posted on X on Wednesday evening.
Four United States soldiers and one tracked vehicle have gone missing during an exercise at a training ground in Lithuania. At the moment, there is no evidence or information confirming the death of the troops. A LTU Armed Forces-led rescue operation is intensively ongoing.
— Lithuanian_Armed_Forces (@LTU_Army) March 26, 2025
NATO acting spokeswoman Allison Hart later posted that Rutte misspoke and did not mean to say that the soldiers were confirmed dead.
“We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown,” she posted on X.
On the 4 US soldiers missing in a military exercise in Lithuania, the search is ongoing. We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown
— NATO Spokesperson (@NATOpress) March 26, 2025
Late Wednesday evening, Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, who visited the site of the incident, told LRT TV that the search and rescue operation is technically complex. She also did not confirm any deaths of soldiers.
“There is no confirmation. As soon as the operation is completed, when we have confirmation of one or another outcome, we will definitely inform everyone,” the minister said.
“The equipment and machinery that would be needed are now concentrated [here], the terrain is swampy, which will require heavier equipment and some extra supplies,” said Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaikšnoras.
He added that it’s unclear how long the operation will take.
Vehicle found in water
Late on Wednesday, the US military in Europe announced that the M88 Hercules armoured recovery vehicle used by the four missing US soldiers during a training exercise had been found.
“The vehicle was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area after a search by U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and other Lithuanian authorities. Recovery efforts are underway by U.S. Army and Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies,” the statement said.
Search efforts for the soldiers continue, it added.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces earlier said that, on March 25, at 16:45, a report was received about four US soldiers and one tracked vehicle missing during a training exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training area in Pabradė, eastern Lithuania.
Lithuanian and foreign troops, as well as helicopters of the Air Force and the State Border Guard Service were deployed to search for the missing on the same day, the military said.
The four soldiers were in an M88 Recovery Vehicle, essentially a giant Army tow truck that is designed to rescue disabled tanks from the battlefield, according to a US Army official in Europe quoted by the New York Times.
They had been sent out to bring back another heavy vehicle but may have driven off the road and into a swamp, the official said. The soldiers appeared to have been trapped inside as the M88 submerged, the official said.
The US military said the missing soldiers were all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident.
“I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,” Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the V Corps commanding general, was quoted in the statement on Wednesday. “It’s this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders.”
