PABRADE, Lithuania – A somber discovery was made Monday as three of the four United States soldiers who went missing in Lithuania last week were found dead. The US Army confirmed the news after rescue teams successfully recovered the soldiers’ armored vehicle from a swamp.
Lithuanian authorities were alerted last Tuesday when the soldiers disappeared during a military exercise at a training ground near Pabrade, a city in eastern Lithuania close to the Belarus border. The ensuing search and rescue operation involved heavy machinery and excavators to remove silt from the water where the vehicle was located. The vehicle was eventually towed out of the swamp early Monday.
"Three US Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31," stated the US Army Europe and Africa public affairs office. The search continues for the remaining soldier.
President Donald Trump addressed the incident in Washington, confirming the deaths and describing the accident. "It was a very heavy truck...that lifted the heaviest equipment. And it would seem that the bank of a lake collapsed. You know, the weight is so big." He added, "And it was at night and it was very cold weather. Ice, a lot of ice. And it possibly slipped and the weight is so enormous."
The names of the deceased soldiers are being withheld until their families are notified.
"Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division," said General Christopher Norrie, the division’s commanding general. "But the search isn’t finished until everyone is home." He expressed gratitude to those involved in the ongoing search and recovery efforts.
Hundreds of local and foreign troops, along with rescue workers, engineers, and divers, participated in the operation to recover the M88 Hercules armored vehicle.
Lithuania, a member of NATO and the EU, hosts over 1,000 American troops on a rotational basis.
