Four U.S. soldiers went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania.
“This is still early news, so we do not know the details. This is really terrible news and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters.
The soldiers, all from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were reported missing on Wednesday. The U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Lithuanian law enforcement, and other entities conducted a search and recovery effort.
“I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,” Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the V Corps commanding general, said. “It’s this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders.”
National Security and Defense Committee chairman Giedrimas Jeglinskas said after the soldiers were reported missing, “We truly appreciate and are grateful for the US presence here. We have created all the conditions for them to increase their military readiness.”
“Such events do indeed occur during large-scale joint military exercises, not only among the Americans, but also in other armies. The aim is to reduce the likelihood of such things, but such things are not impossible. If there was some kind of accident, lessons are learned, and safety requirements are increased,” he said.
An estimated 16,000 U.S. troops are deployed in the Baltic region, the New York Post reports, citing information from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
This article was updated on March 27 at 12:32 p.m. PT to reflect updated information.
