Latest news with #USArmyEuropeandAfrica
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US relocates its military from key logistics hub in Poland through which Ukraine receives aid
The US Army Europe and Africa has announced the redeployment of US military personnel and equipment from Jasionka Airport in Poland, which is a key hub for assistance to Ukraine. Source: a statement by the US Army Europe and Africa, as reported by European Pravda Details: The United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) has announced that the redeployment of US military personnel and equipment from Jasionka Airport near Rzeszów to other locations in Poland has been long planned. As highlighted in a communiqué published on the command's website on Monday, the redeployment is "part of a broader strategy to optimise US military operations, improving the level of support to Allies and partners while also enhancing efficiencies". It notes that the decision "reflects months of assessment and planning" conducted in coordination with Poland and other NATO allies. "The site is not at a permanent Polish military base, but has been utilized by U.S., NATO and partner forces for three years", the statement says. Jasionka, under the leadership of Poland and NATO, will continue to be used to provide military assistance to Ukraine, the command said. In response to the communiqué, Polish President Andrzej Duda stressed that the relocation of US military equipment from Jasionka does not mean a withdrawal of troops. For reference: The US military arrived at the airfield near Rzeszów at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, Jasionka has become a key logistical hub for the technical support provided by Western countries to Ukraine. As a particularly important location, it has been covered by, among other things, US Patriot air defence systems. Initially, support for Ukraine within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as Ramstein) was controlled by the United States. As a result of the NATO summit in Washington, the responsibility was transferred to NATO, and thus to other member states. To take this from the Americans' hands, anti-aircraft systems from Germany and Norway have been deployed there in recent months. Background: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte believes that there is no reason to talk about the US withdrawal from the Ramstein group. The Secretary General was asked about media reports that the Pentagon chief would not attend the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group for the first time, and whether this was a signal that the United States was withdrawing from the initiative. The next meeting of the Ramstein group will take place on 11 April at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, and will be co-chaired by the UK and Germany for the first time. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Saudi Gazette
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Missing US soldiers' armored vehicle recovered from Lithuanian swamp
WASHINGTON — Lithuanian authorities have recovered the armored vehicle belonging to four missing US soldiers who disappeared during a routine training exercise last week, the country's defense minister confirmed on Monday. 'Six days of hard work have yielded results. The armored vehicle has been recovered,' Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said in a statement on Facebook. The vehicle was found submerged in a swamp in Pabrade, northeast of the capital Vilnius, where the soldiers were last seen. Despite the vehicle's recovery, there has been no official update on the status of the missing soldiers. Lithuanian military police and US investigators continue to examine the scene. Sakaliene urged the public to exercise 'patience' and respect the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation. 'Let us understand the delicacy of the situation and the sensitivity of the soldiers' families,' she US Army Europe and Africa confirmed that a multinational search effort remains underway, with US and Lithuanian forces leading the recovery vehicle was first located last Wednesday, but its extraction proved challenging.'Not only are we dealing with the terrain, a lot of mud that is over top of the vehicle, but also the fact that it's 70 tons that we're trying to recover out of a swamp or bog,' Brig. Gen. John Lloyd said on forces regularly participate in NATO training exercises in Lithuania, a key eastern flank member of the alliance. — Agencies
Arab News
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Lithuania says ‘long night ahead' in US soldiers search
PABRADE, Lithuania: Lithuania's defense minister said on Friday that rescuers faced 'another long night' in their operation to recover the submerged vehicle of four missing US soldiers. Authorities from the Baltic state received a report on Tuesday that the soldiers had disappeared during a military drill on a training ground in the eastern city of Pabrade, near the border with Belarus. Search and rescue teams were at the scene on Friday, using heavy military equipment and excavators to remove silt from the body of water where the vehicle had been located. 'Another long night ahead,' Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on social network X. The Lithuanian army said earlier they were 'moving forward' on their goal to 'turn the swamp into water so divers can jump in.' The rescue efforts are ongoing without pause. In the evening, team of US divers will arrive at Pabradė training ground. All resources are being mobilised, and with support of Lithuanian services, rescue operation continues. Hundreds of people working. We will keep working… — Dovilė Šakalienė (@DSakaliene) March 28, 2025 The US army said on Friday it was sending a specialized US Navy dive crew that was 'expected to arrive on site within the next 24 hours.' Local and foreign troops, along with helicopters from the air force and the state border guard service, have been deployed in the search effort. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he was 'still hoping for a miracle.' 'Although many skeptics would probably say that there is nothing to hope for in these circumstances, I want to believe,' he told reporters. The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the missing US soldiers had been operating was found several meters deep in a swamp connected to a nearby lake. 'The area around the site is incredibly wet and marshy and doesn't support the weight of the equipment,' US Army Europe and Africa's public affairs office said in a statement. 'Draining the area has been slow and difficult due to ground water seepage,' it added. 'This will be a long and difficult recovery operation, but we are absolutely committed to bringing our soldiers home,' said Curtis Taylor, Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division. The main goal was to remove the mud from the submerged vehicle and identify possible attachment points for extraction, Lithuanian Armed Forces chief General Raimundas Vaiksnoras said. Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 American troops stationed on a rotational basis.
Saudi Gazette
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Four US soldiers missing for two days in Lithuania
VILNIUS — The Lithuanian army says it is searching for four US soldiers missing for two days during drills in the Baltic state amid reports they had died. The four soldiers and their tracked vehicle had gone missing on Tuesday afternoon near the border with Belarus, the military said earlier. The US Army said the vehicle had been found submerged in water. The Lithuanian army said on X that a "rescue operation is intensively ongoing", and there was no evidence "confirming the death of the troops". Nato chief Mark Rutte had earlier said he had been informed of their deaths, but added that he did not have further details. Lithuanian and foreign troops, helicopters and state border guards have been deployed to search for the missing soldiers. The soldiers had been training near Pabrade in eastern Lithuania with other Nato forces. US Army Europe and Africa's public affairs office confirmed in its statement that the soldiers "were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident". They added the soldiers were part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. Lithuanian authorities received a report about the soldiers' disappearance on Tuesday afternoon. "A possible scene has now been identified," the Lithuanian military said in a statement earlier on Wednesday. "People (are) working round the clock. Everybody remains on standby, ready to provide emergency medical support," Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on X. Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 American troops, who are stationed on a rotational basis. "I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian armed forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations," said Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, the V Corps commanding general. — BBC
