NATO leader causes confusion regarding 'dead' US soldiers
Four US Army soldiers mysteriously went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania close to the Belarus border on Tuesday.
TroibNews 
The search for the “missing” American soldiers continues after their armored vehicle was found “submerged” in Lithuania, as reported by the US Army.
Four US Army soldiers mysteriously vanished during a training exercise near the Belarus border on Tuesday. The fate of the soldiers remains unconfirmed by the US military, following confusion instigated by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who expressed condolences to their families.
These soldiers, part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, were engaged in a “scheduled tactical training” exercise at the General Silvestras Zukauskas training ground in Lithuania’s Pabrade when they went missing, leading to a substantial search and rescue operation.
“The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the four missing US Soldiers were operating during a training exercise has been located in Lithuania,” the US Army Europe and Africa announced in a recent update on Wednesday.
The armored vehicle “was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area,” but “search efforts for the soldiers continue,” the US military noted. The Lithuanian Armed Forces further stated that, at this stage, “there is no evidence or information confirming the death of the troops.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the NATO chief appeared to imply the US servicemen were dead, stating, “This is really terrible news and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones.” However, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart later clarified that Rutte was simply “referring to emerging news reports” and “was not confirming the fate of the missing.”
“We regret any confusion about remarks [Rutte] delivered on this today,” she added.
The United States has approximately 1,000 personnel stationed in Lithuania, a presence that grew following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The US-led military bloc has increased exercises near the borders with Russia and Belarus.
Last week, the militaries of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland urged their governments to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty—an international agreement banning the use of anti-personnel landmines—arguing that the heightened military threat from Russia makes this move necessary.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned last year that Western countries “can’t wait” to involve Belarus in their “military squabbles,” estimating that 20,000 NATO soldiers are positioned “near” the country’s borders.
Moscow has persistently dismissed Western assertions of an intended attack on NATO or EU states, with Russian President Vladimir Putin labeling such claims “nonsense.” He argues that the purported “Russian threat” is leveraged by European politicians to instill fear among citizens and justify increased military expenditures. Additionally, Russian officials have characterized the EU’s recent militarization efforts as reckless and escalatory.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
Four US Army soldiers mysteriously vanished during a training exercise near the Belarus border on Tuesday. The fate of the soldiers remains unconfirmed by the US military, following confusion instigated by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who expressed condolences to their families.
These soldiers, part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, were engaged in a “scheduled tactical training” exercise at the General Silvestras Zukauskas training ground in Lithuania’s Pabrade when they went missing, leading to a substantial search and rescue operation.
“The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the four missing US Soldiers were operating during a training exercise has been located in Lithuania,” the US Army Europe and Africa announced in a recent update on Wednesday.
The armored vehicle “was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area,” but “search efforts for the soldiers continue,” the US military noted. The Lithuanian Armed Forces further stated that, at this stage, “there is no evidence or information confirming the death of the troops.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the NATO chief appeared to imply the US servicemen were dead, stating, “This is really terrible news and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones.” However, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart later clarified that Rutte was simply “referring to emerging news reports” and “was not confirming the fate of the missing.”
“We regret any confusion about remarks [Rutte] delivered on this today,” she added.
The United States has approximately 1,000 personnel stationed in Lithuania, a presence that grew following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The US-led military bloc has increased exercises near the borders with Russia and Belarus.
Last week, the militaries of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland urged their governments to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty—an international agreement banning the use of anti-personnel landmines—arguing that the heightened military threat from Russia makes this move necessary.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned last year that Western countries “can’t wait” to involve Belarus in their “military squabbles,” estimating that 20,000 NATO soldiers are positioned “near” the country’s borders.
Moscow has persistently dismissed Western assertions of an intended attack on NATO or EU states, with Russian President Vladimir Putin labeling such claims “nonsense.” He argues that the purported “Russian threat” is leveraged by European politicians to instill fear among citizens and justify increased military expenditures. Additionally, Russian officials have characterized the EU’s recent militarization efforts as reckless and escalatory.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
