NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that four U.S. soldiers who went missing during training exercises in Lithuania this week have died.
“This is still early news so we do not know the details,” he said. “This is really terrible news and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones.”
The U.S. military said that the soldiers were riding in a M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle, which is a giant armored tow truck designed to pull damaged tanks off the battlefield, when they went missing.
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,” the statement said. “Recovery efforts are underway by U.S. Army and Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies.”
The U.S. military said earlier in the day that the four U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, went missing during scheduled tactical training this week at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, just a few miles away from the country’s border with Belarus.
“I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,” said Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the V Corps commanding general. “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.”
