NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that four U.S. Army soldiers who had been reported missing during a training exercise in Lithuania were found deceased.
The soldiers, assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia, were participating in a scheduled tactical training exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground near Pabradė, a town located less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Belarus.
According to reports, the soldiers went missing on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a search and rescue operation involving U.S. Army personnel, Lithuanian Armed Forces, and local law enforcement. The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle they were operating was later found submerged in water within the training area.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed his condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and emphasized the importance of the U.S. military presence in the region. The incident underscores the strategic significance of NATO’s activities in the Baltic states, especially given the proximity to Russia and Belarus.
The U.S. Army has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
