Latest news with #AtlanticResolve
CNN
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Search underway for 4 US Army soldiers missing in Lithuania
Hundreds of troops and emergency workers are racing to find four US soldiers who went missing during a training mission near Lithuania's border with Belarus, the US Army said Thursday, after their armored vehicle was found submerged in a body of water. The soldiers were reported missing in a training area near the city of Pabrade at approximately 4:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a Wednesday statement. Members of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division had been carrying out a mission to recover another US vehicle in a schedule training session, according to the US Army. US and Lithuanian soldiers, law enforcement officials, and Lithuanian military helicopters and diving teams were part of the seismic operation, which ran through Thursday 'without pause,' according to the US Army. Ground-search parties waded through thick forests and swampy terrain, which 'complicated recovery efforts.' It came after the US Army Europe and Africa confirmed that the M88 armored vehicle operated by the soldiers was found in a training area. 'The vehicle was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area after a search by US Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and other Lithuanian authorities,' the statement on Wednesday said. 'Recovery efforts are underway by US Army and Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies. Search efforts for the Soldiers continue.' Emergency crews were digging into a swamp, which was drained after vehicle was discovered more than 5 meters down, according to Lithuania's Defense Minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, Reuters reported. Engineers created berms – strips of raised land – to help contain the surrounding water, which could be pumped and provide access to emergency personnel on site to the vehicle, the US Army said. As of Thursday, there is 'no evidence or information confirming any casualties,' Lithuania's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. The soldiers were from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and were conducting 'scheduled tactical training' at the time of the incident, the statement continued. Asked Wednesday evening by reporters if he had been briefed about the missing soldiers, US President Donald Trump said: 'No, I haven't.' U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor insisted teams 'will not stop' until the troops were found. 'This tragic situation weighs heavily on all of us and we're keeping the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers and recovery team in our thoughts and prayers,' the commanding general of 1st Armored Division said on Thursday. Šakalienė said in a post on X that she was 'deeply saddened' to hear about the missing soldiers. 'Everybody remains on standby, ready to provide emergency medical support,' she said. 'Please rest assured that we will continue our efforts tirelessly.' The US has maintained a presence in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region since 2014, in an operation called 'Atlantic Resolve,' following Russia's invasion of Crimea. Lithuania, a member of both NATO and the European Union, hosts hundreds of American troops, who are stationed on a rotational basis. A US military camp named Camp Herkus was established in Pabrade in August 2021, Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence announced in a statement at the time. It is equipped to house up to 700 soldiers, or 1,000 on a short-term basis, according to the Lithuanian Armed Forces. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Benjamin Brown contributed to this report.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missing U.S. soldiers' vehicle submerged more than 16 feet in peat bog as search continues
Rescuers in Lithuania were digging in a peat bog Thursday as they tried to recover the submerged vehicle of four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during a training exercise earlier this week. The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle was found more than 16 feet below ground on Wednesday, a day after the soldiers went missing while training with Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement. Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas expressed support for the rescue operation on Thursday after visiting the training ground near the town of Pabradė, about 30 miles south of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and 6 miles from the border with Belarus. 'Our thoughts & prayers are with their families and brothers in arms,' he said in a post on X. He was joined at the scene by Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, who said she was 'deeply saddened' by the soldiers' disappearance. 'Everybody remains on standby, ready to provide emergency medical support,' she said on X. Šakalienė told Lithuanian broadcaster LRT on Thursday that overnight rescue efforts involved water pumping and ground reinforcement, leading to 'certain positive signs that give hope for a quicker scenario.' The U.S. Army said Wednesday that the search for the soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, was continuing and that recovery efforts were underway by the U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies. President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday evening that he had not been briefed about the missing soldiers. The NATO military alliance also said the search was ongoing, clarifying comments that Secretary-General Mark Rutte made earlier Wednesday suggesting that the missing soldiers had died. 'He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown,' a spokesperson said in a post on X. Lithuania, a former Soviet republic that is now in the European Union, has been a NATO member since 2004. It has hosted hundreds of American troops on a rotational basis since 2014 as part of a U.S. operation called 'Atlantic Resolve' in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region, which began after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine. The country shares a 421-mile border with Belarus, led by Alexander Lukashenko, who was sworn in for a seventh term on Tuesday and has been called 'Europe's last dictator.' Lukashenko has been a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing him to use Belarus as a staging area for his invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This article was originally published on
NBC News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Rescuers in Lithuania dig for submerged vehicle used by 4 missing U.S. Army soldiers
Rescuers in Lithuania were digging in a peat bog Thursday as they tried to recover the submerged vehicle of four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during a training exercise earlier this week. The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle was found more than 16 feet below ground on Wednesday, a day after the soldiers went missing while training with Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement. Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas expressed support for the rescue operation on Thursday after visiting the training ground near the town of Pabradė, about 30 miles south of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and 6 miles from the border with Belarus. 'Our thoughts & prayers are with their families and brothers in arms,' he said in a post on X. He was joined at the scene by Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, who said she was 'deeply saddened' by the soldiers' disappearance. 'Everybody remains on standby, ready to provide emergency medical support,' she said on X. Šakalienė told Lithuanian broadcaster LRT on Thursday that overnight rescue efforts involved water pumping and ground reinforcement, leading to 'certain positive signs that give hope for a quicker scenario.' The U.S. Army said Wednesday that the search for the soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, was continuing and that recovery efforts were underway by the U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies. President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday evening that he had not been briefed about the missing soldiers. The NATO military alliance also said the search was ongoing, clarifying comments that Secretary-General Mark Rutte made earlier Wednesday suggesting that the missing soldiers had died. 'He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown,' a spokesperson said in a post on X. Lithuania, a former Soviet republic that is now in the European Union, has been a NATO member since 2004. It has hosted hundreds of American troops on a rotational basis since 2014 as part of a U.S. operation called 'Atlantic Resolve' in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region, which began after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine. The country shares a 421-mile border with Belarus, led by Alexander Lukashenko, who was sworn in for a seventh term on Tuesday and has been called 'Europe's last dictator.' Lukashenko has been a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing him to use Belarus as a staging area for his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
CNN
26-03-2025
- CNN
4 US Army soldiers go missing during Lithuanian training mission
Four US Army soldiers went missing during a training mission close to Lithuania's border with Belarus, military officials said Wednesday, and a search is underway. The soldiers were reported missing on Tuesday in a training area near the city of Pabrade at approximately 4:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m. ET), the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a Wednesday statement. 'The soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident,' the US Army Europe and Africa said in a statement. Search and recovery efforts involve the US Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Lithuanian law enforcement and others, the US Army added. According to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, helicopters and members of the country's border guard are also involved in the search. The US has maintained a presence in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region since 2014, in an operation called 'Atlantic Resolve,' following Russia's invasion of Crimea. Lithuania, a member of both NATO and the European Union, hosts hundreds of American troops, who are stationed on a rotational basis. A US military camp named Camp Herkus was established in Pabrade in August 2021, Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence announced in a statement at the time. It is equipped to house up to 700 soldiers, or 1000 on a short-term basis, according to the Lithuanian Armed Forces. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Benjamin Brown contributed to this report.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
4 US Army soldiers go missing during Lithuanian training mission
Four US Army soldiers went missing during a training mission close to Lithuania's border with Belarus, military officials said Wednesday, and a search is underway. The soldiers were reported missing on Tuesday in a training area near the city of Pabrade at approximately 4:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m. ET), the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a Wednesday statement. 'The soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident,' the US Army Europe and Africa said in a statement. Search and recovery efforts involve the US Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Lithuanian law enforcement and others, the US Army added. According to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, helicopters and members of the country's border guard are also involved in the search. The US has maintained a presence in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region since 2014, in an operation called 'Atlantic Resolve,' following Russia's invasion of Crimea. Lithuania, a member of both NATO and the European Union, hosts hundreds of American troops, who are stationed on a rotational basis. A US military camp named Camp Herkus was established in Pabrade in August 2021, Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence announced in a statement at the time. It is equipped to house up to 700 soldiers, or 1000 on a short-term basis, according to the Lithuanian Armed Forces. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Benjamin Brown contributed to this report.
