Recovery Efforts for Missing U.S. Soldiers in Lithuania Face Severe Challenges

Multinational teams work to extract submerged armored vehicle as difficult terrain slows progress and soldiers’ fate remains uncertain.

Four U.S. soldiers went missing on March 25 during a NATO training mission near Lithuania’s border with Belarus after their M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle became submerged in a swampy area.
The vehicle was discovered on March 26 under 15 feet of water and mud, but efforts to recover it have been hampered by wet, unstable terrain and groundwater seepage.
U.S., Lithuanian, and Polish forces are collaborating on the recovery, utilizing cranes, a slurry pump, and over 30 tons of gravel to stabilize the area and access the vehicle.
A U.S. Navy dive crew and Polish engineers have been mobilized to assist, while Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda expressed hope for a miracle during his visit to the site.
Commanders acknowledge the operation will be long and complex, with the primary focus on bringing the soldiers home and providing answers to their families.