Search Continues for Missing US Soldiers in Lithuania as Recovery Efforts Face Complex Challenges

The submerged vehicle has been located in a swamp, but the soldiers' fate remains unconfirmed, with multinational teams working to overcome technical and environmental obstacles.

• Four US soldiers went missing on March 25 during a NATO training exercise near Pabrade, Lithuania, close to the Belarus border.
• Their armored recovery vehicle, an M88 Hercules, was found submerged five meters deep in a swamp, complicating recovery efforts.
• No confirmation has been made on whether the soldiers' bodies are inside the vehicle, with Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene emphasizing that all scenarios remain possible.
• Multinational teams from the US, Lithuania, and Poland are coordinating search and recovery operations, hindered by swampy terrain and a nearby gas pipeline.
• Confusion arose after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggested the soldiers were presumed dead, a claim later clarified as unconfirmed by NATO and Lithuanian officials.

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