US Soldiers Missing in Lithuania: Recovery of Military Vehicle Completed

In Lithuania, rescue teams have successfully recovered a military vehicle that had sunk meters deep in marshland, related to the disappearance of four US soldiers. The operation, which lasted several days, concluded late Sunday night with the extraction of the M88 Hercules recovery vehicle from a swampy area at a military training site in Pabrade.

According to the Lithuanian Minister of National Defence, Dovile Sakaliene, the recovery involved the use of specialized recovery tanks and heavy machinery. The Lithuanian Army Chief, Raimundas Vaiksnoras, confirmed the vehicle's recovery, although it remains unclear whether the missing soldiers were inside the vehicle at the time of its submersion.

The four US soldiers have been unaccounted for since Tuesday, following a tactical training exercise. After their disappearance, a collaborative search effort was launched involving the Lithuanian military, police, and US military forces, which ultimately led to the identification of the vehicle's location in the water.

Pabrade is situated near the NATO eastern flank and close to the border with Belarus, highlighting the strategic significance of the area. The ongoing situation underscores the complexities of military operations in challenging terrains and the urgent need for effective rescue measures in such circumstances.