4 U.S. Army soldiers go missing in Lithuania during training exercise

Four U.S. soldiers went missing during tactical training in Lithuania, not far from its border with Belarus, officials said Wednesday.

The soldiers were in a training area near the town of Pabradė, which is about 30 miles south of the capital, Vilnius, and 6 miles from Lithuania's border with Belarus, officials said.

The missing Americans were riding in their M88 recovery vehicle, which "was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area," the Army said.

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The Army had been training with Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement, authorities said.

A search and recovery effort is underway for the soldiers, who are all from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

“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 commander, said in a statement.

“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.”

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that they are aware that search and recovery efforts are underway for the four missing soldiers.

"Our hearts go out to the soldiers and families affected by this situation," he said.

The former Soviet republic of Lithuania has been a NATO member since 2004.

Lithuania shares a 421-mile border with Belarus, led by authoritarian Alexander Lukashenko, dubbed "Europe’s last dictator."

Lukashenko has been a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing him to use Belarus as a staging area for his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.