The US armoured vehicle that sank in a swamp near the Pabradė training area in eastern Lithuania was recovered on Monday morning. Later the same day, the US army confirmed the deaths of three American servicemen, saying the search for the fourth soldier was continuing.
"Around 22:00, the attachment point for the second cable was located, and shortly after 23:00, the second cable was secured. At 2:45, the extraction operation began," Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė told LRT RADIO on Monday morning.
"At 4:30, the extraction operation was completed. Two M88 armoured vehicles were used, along with two additional bulldozers for anchoring, as the initial setup was insufficient," she said.
According to Šakalienė, the armoured vehicle weighed nearly 70 tons and was stuck in the mud, which significantly increased its effective weight due to resistance.
Later on Monday, the US army confirmed that it had recovered the bodies of three American servicemen, while the search for the fourth one was continuing.
"Three US Army Soldiers [...] were found deceased in Lithuania today," the US Army Europe and Africa said in a statement.
Their identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
"Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found," Major General Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in the statement.
The M88 Hercules tracked recovery vehicle, operated by four US soldiers, went missing during an exercise at the military training area near the Belarusian border on Tuesday.
The vehicle was initially located on Wednesday at a depth of about five meters in a swampy area. Following sustained recovery efforts, divers were able to attach cables onto the vehicle, which was found lying sideways at the bottom of the swamp, Lithuanian Lieutenant Colonel Aušrius Buikus, in charge of the rescue operation, told reporters on Monday.
The large-scale rescue effort involved Lithuanian and US forces, as well as Lithuanian authorities. Several dozen Polish troops with specialised equipment had also joined the operation.
Lithuanian prosecutors have now opened a pre-trial investigation to determine the cause of death.
'A sad day for Lithuania'
Defence Minister Šakalienė said it was "a very sad day for Lithuania".
"These young soldiers will always remain in the heart of Lithuania. We are deeply grateful for their selfless sacrifice in choosing the military profession. Their example will always remind us of what true courage means," the minister said in a Facebook post.
In his message of condolences, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said his thoughts and prayers were with the families and loved ones of the servicemen.
"We experience this loss as our own," Lithuania's top diplomat said. "We remain extremely grateful to our closest allies for their presence in Lithuania."
"Lithuania will continue to provide the best support to allied forces serving in our country." he added.
The country's president,m Gitanas Nausėda, also extended his condolences, saying “we hoped for a miracle until the very last moment”.
"Their deaths are a painful blow not only to their American fellow servicemen, but also to the Lithuanian Armed Forces," Nausėda added.
Allies thank Vilnius – minister
Lithuania has been receiving words of support from allies, according to Foreign Minister Budrys.
"The signals we've been receiving are those of gratitude for the support we're providing and how we're organising the rescue efforts. It's really visible how mobilised society is and how much attention is being paid," Budrys told reporters on Sunday.
"This is an important message, because when our allies come to train here, they have to be sure they'll have everything they need if a disaster strikes – and disasters do happen," the minister said.
Budrys attended Sunday mass at Vilnius Cathedral, where prayers were held for the US soldiers who went missing at the Pabradė training area on Tuesday.
"Solidarity is being shown among the allied forces in Lithuania and our military, as well as between the military and political communities. We also saw the diplomats, [...] and Lithuanian citizens, who gathered here and sent a message that this situation is very important to us," the minister said.
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