NATO chief Mark Rutte had said four US troops were killed during a training exercise. However, NATO later clarified that the soldiers are still missing and their fate remains unknown.
Following reports on Wednesday that four US soldiers had died during a training exercise close to the Belarusian border in Lithuania, NATO clarified that this had not been confirmed.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had said on Wednesday that the four soldiers were “killed in an incident in Lithuania.” However, NATO later said that the US military had not confirmed any deaths.
“The search is ongoing,” NATO said in a statement posted on X. “We regret any confusion about remarks [Rutte] delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown.”
The US military has confirmed that the vehicle the soldiers were in had been found submerged in a body of water, but that recovery efforts were still underway.
Lithuania’s military had earlier announced that they were searching for the soldiers, who were reported missing on Tuesday afternoon.
Search&rescue of missing soldiers is ongoing.
Our armed forces & rescue services are working around the clock.
This accident is incredibly difficult&painful for us. Our hearts are with the soldiers, their families&friends.
On Thursday, Lithuania’s Defense Ministry said that a search was ongoing and “all scenarios are being examined.”
“There is currently no confirmed information and no bodies have been found. It would therefore be simply wrong to claim that the soldiers are dead,” said Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene
The US Army said in a statement that the soldier were conducting “scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident.”
The four soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division were training in a Hercules armored vehicle that was recovered.
Lithuanian and foreign troops used air force helicopters to search for the missing soldiers and were assisted by state border guard agents.
Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, the V Corps commander, said, “I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian armed forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations.”
Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 American troops stationed in the country on a rotational basis.
