Photo: US military exercises in Lithuania (archive photo lrt.lt) Author: Danila Kramarenko
Four American soldiers went missing during exercises in Lithuania. NATO confirmed their deaths in the evening, but later denied it.
RBC-Ukraine has compiled the main information that is known about the incident near the border of Lithuania and Belarus.
Content
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What happened near the border with Belarus
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What Lithuanian officials say
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What kind of training took place in Pabrade
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American soldiers died?
What happened near the border with Belarus
The report of four US Army servicemen and one tracked combat vehicle missing was received yesterday at 16:45. This happened during exercises at the Pabradė training ground (Švenčionys district, near the border with Belarus).
A large-scale search operation was launched on Tuesday, involving Lithuanian troops. In addition, the Lithuanian Armed Forces launched helicopters this afternoon.
“At present, the possible location of the incident has been established, and the search and rescue operation is ongoing. Additionally, the forces of the Fire and Rescue Department and other agencies are involved,” the Lithuanian army reported today.
The incident was also reported by the American Embassy in Vilnius. The search is being conducted by the US and Lithuanian military, as well as local law enforcement agencies and other agencies. The missing soldiers belong to the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, which was conducting scheduled tactical exercises at the time of the incident.
“I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and rapid response services that provided us with prompt assistance in the search operations. It is this kind of teamwork and support that demonstrates the importance of our partnership and humanity, no matter what flags we carry on our shoulders,” said Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, Commander of the 5th Corps.
According to the Police Department, three soldiers and a vehicle were initially reported missing, and four soldiers were later reported missing. The police have not yet commented on the incident, stating that the circumstances are being investigated.
What Lithuanian officials say
Today, the head of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence, Giedrimas Jeglinskas, said what he knows about the disappearance, but did not provide any additional information.
“The army and the forces that conducted the exercises ask for discretion and not to make any comments. Let's be respectful, let all procedures work. The police and all elements that should be involved are participating in the investigations,” the politician said.
President Gitanas Nausėda said that he is constantly informed about the incident and the progress of search operations.
“I am constantly being informed, I cannot confirm this yet – the circumstances are being clarified, what exactly happened is being clarified. As soon as this is confirmed, I think the public will soon know all the details,” he said.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas also promised to provide the public with information in the near future.
“I will not disclose any additional information for now. Much is already known, but the investigation will establish all the circumstances. The investigation is ongoing. When the information is accurate, it will definitely be summarized and brought to the attention of the public,” he confirmed.
Defense Ministry spokesman Ignas Grinevičius noted that Minister Dovilė Šakalienė went to the training ground where the search for missing soldiers is underway to inspect the work and express solidarity with the Americans.
What kind of training took place in Pabrade
The Lithuanian training ground hosted US military exercises with rotational force units stationed there. Two battalions of the US 3rd Infantry Division will remain there for nine months. Joint exercises with Lithuania and other NATO allies are planned.
The missing soldiers are believed to have been in an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle. These are based on the Abrams tank and are very powerful and heavy, weighing up to 63 tons, which can be especially dangerous in the marshy terrain in Pabrade.
It should be noted that such evacuation vehicles were previously transferred to Ukraine. M88s are successfully used to evacuate damaged combat vehicles from the battlefield.
Pabradė has had its share of accidents in the past. For example, in 2017, a soldier was injured when an explosive device exploded during a training exercise. And in 2019, three soldiers were injured when a military vehicle crashed into a tree. That same year, a military vehicle overturned during a training exercise, injuring two people.
American soldiers died?
At first, a number of Lithuanian media outlets wrote about this, citing their sources, but there was no official confirmation. According to LRT, all four soldiers who were riding on the tracked vehicle were presumably killed.
According to the Lrytas publication, the car has allegedly already been found in a swamp. Official sources have not confirmed this information as of 18:00.
“There is no information to confirm this,” Gintautas Ciunis, a representative of the Lithuanian Armed Forces' Strategic Communications Department, told ELTA.
The New York Times, citing an unnamed US military official, notes that the soldiers were riding in a heavy vehicle that could have sunk in the swamp. According to him, the soldiers went after another heavy vehicle, but drove off the road and could have been trapped inside the M88 after it sank into the water.
Reuters published news of the soldiers' deaths in the evening, citing NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is visiting Warsaw. “While I was speaking, news emerged of four American soldiers killed in an incident in Lithuania,” he said, adding that he did not know the details.
Updated at 23:00
A few hours after this statement, NATO's press service denied Rutte's words.
“We regret the confusion regarding the comments the NATO Secretary General made on this matter. He referred to new reports and did not confirm the fate of the missing, which remains unknown,” NATO said.
They added that the search operation was still ongoing. However, they confirmed that the M88 vehicle had been found.
In preparing the text, publications from Reuters, The New York Times and Lithuanian publications BNS, LRT and Delfi were used.
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