Overview
- The M88 Hercules tank, which sank during a NATO training exercise near Pabrade, Lithuania, has been successfully recovered from a swamp early Monday morning.
- Four US soldiers have been missing since the tank became submerged on March 25, but it remains unclear if they were inside the vehicle at the time of recovery.
- The recovery operation involved hundreds of personnel from Lithuanian, Polish, and NATO forces, using specialized equipment to stabilize the swampy terrain and extract the 70-ton vehicle from nearly five meters of mud and water.
- Speculation continues about the cause of the incident, including a possible navigation system defect, though no official explanation has been confirmed.
- Public and institutional solidarity has been strong, with a prayer service held in Vilnius, while investigations by US and Lithuanian authorities are ongoing.