In a tragic turn during a routine training operation, the U.S. Army confirmed Wednesday that a Hercules armored vehicle carrying four American soldiers was found submerged in a body of water in Lithuania.
The soldiers, members of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, had gone missing during a tactical exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area near Pabrade, north of the capital city, Vilnius.
Recovery efforts were ongoing as of Wednesday, led by a joint team from the U.S. Army, the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and local civilian agencies. The status of the missing soldiers has not yet been confirmed.
The incident prompted a wave of concern across NATO and allied nations. Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte appeared to suggest that the soldiers had died, causing confusion.
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NATO later clarified his remarks, emphasizing that no confirmation had yet been made regarding the soldiers’ fate.
“The search is ongoing,” NATO stated in a message posted to X, formerly Twitter. “We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown.”
Rutte, who was in Warsaw at the time, had spoken to reporters after receiving preliminary information during a lecture. “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,” he said, expressing sympathy to the families of the soldiers and to the United States.
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According to U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the soldiers disappeared Tuesday afternoon, along with the armored vehicle they were operating.
The Army has not released further information about the nature of the incident or how the vehicle came to be submerged.
In an official statement, the Army acknowledged that the soldiers were engaged in a tactical training exercise at the time of the incident.
These kinds of exercises are standard for U.S. forces stationed in Europe as part of ongoing efforts to support NATO’s eastern flank and to strengthen ties with allied forces in the region.
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the commanding general of V Corps, expressed gratitude to the Lithuanian Armed Forces and local first responders for their swift assistance in the search and recovery operations.
“I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,” Costanza 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.”
As the investigation and recovery continue, the incident serves as a sobering reminder of the risks service members face—even during training—and the vital cooperation between allies during times of crisis.
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