NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced Wednesday that four U.S. Army soldiers, previously reported missing during training exercises in Lithuania, have been confirmed dead.
Rutte, upon learning of the soldiers’ deaths en route to Warsaw, expressed his condolences to their families and the United States.
“Details are still emerging, but this is devastating news, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones,” Rutte told reporters in Warsaw.
U.S. officials have released limited information, with one official stating to The Associated Press, under the condition of anonymity, that the soldiers were involved in a training accident but declined to elaborate on their condition.
U.S. Army Europe and Africa public affairs stated that the soldiers were participating in scheduled tactical training near Pabradė, located north of Vilnius, when they disappeared.
The time of the soldiers’ disappearance, all members of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, remains unclear.
The U.S. military has stated that further updates regarding the search for the missing soldiers will be provided as information becomes available.
Lithuania’s armed forces initially reported the disappearance of the four soldiers and one tracked vehicle on Tuesday, according to a statement obtained by Reuters.
“A potential location of the incident has been identified, and a search and rescue operation is in progress,” the statement read.
The Pabradė training ground is situated less than 6 miles from the Belarusian border.
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps, expressed his gratitude in a written statement: “I want to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders for their swift assistance in our search operations. This teamwork and support underscore the importance of our partnership and our shared humanity, regardless of national affiliation.”
Lithuania, a member of NATO, has experienced strained relations with Russia, a key ally of Belarus, since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Latvia and Estonia, the other Baltic states that separated from the Soviet Union, have also maintained uneasy relations with Russia.
Relations have deteriorated further following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has emerged as a prominent advocate for Ukraine in its resistance against Russian President forces.
“`