Bodies of Three US Soldiers Found After Six-Day Search in Lithuania

The bodies of three US soldiers, missing for six days, have been discovered in a swamp near Pabradė, Lithuania, where they had been taking part in a military drill, the US Army confirmed.

The soldiers went missing on March 25 during a training mission involving the M88A2 Hercules, a heavy recovery vehicle used for repairing and towing damaged military tanks and vehicles.

The bodies were located in a muddy bog near the Belarus border, not far from where their vehicle had been found submerged on March 26.

A complex and resource-intensive search operation had been launched, involving the US Army, US Navy, Lithuanian, and Polish armed forces.

Despite the challenges of locating the missing soldiers, the search continues for a fourth soldier who remains unaccounted for.

In a statement, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie of US Army Europe and Africa expressed his condolences, saying, “The soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just soldiers—they were a part of our family… But the search isn’t finished until everyone is home.”

Rescue teams faced significant hurdles in recovering the vehicle, which was deeply stuck in thick layers of mud.

US Navy divers were enlisted to help recover the submerged vehicle, working in conditions of zero visibility and battling through heavy sediment.

Despite these efforts, the recovery operation was complicated, with several vehicles, including bulldozers and other heavy machinery, called in to assist.

In Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, a mass was held on Sunday, attended by military personnel and Lithuanian defense officials.

President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania extended his condolences to the United States, saying, “Lithuania mourns together with the American nation.”

The identities of the deceased soldiers, who were part of the 1st Armoured Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, are yet to be released until their families have been notified.

They were deployed in Lithuania as part of NATO’s Operation Atlantic Resolve, a mission intended to reinforce the alliance’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the US Army and Lithuanian authorities.