A Polish military team has been dispatched to Lithuania to assist the Lithuanian and U.S. Armies in the search for four Fort Stewart-based soldiers who went missing early Tuesday during a training exercise near Pabradė, Lithuania.
U.S. Army Europe and Africa public affairs confirmed the soldiers were in an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle on a scheduled mission to retrieve another U.S. Army vehicle when they disappeared within the training area.
The initial search involved hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian soldiers, law enforcement, Lithuanian military helicopters, and dive teams, focusing on the dense forests and swampy terrain.
Despite these efforts, the soldiers remain missing. The M88 Hercules was discovered submerged in water within the training area, near a high-pressure gas pipeline close to Pabradė, north of Vilnius.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė stated that the country has dedicated all available resources from its armed forces and internal affairs ministry to the search.
“We are continuing very intensely, from helicopters with thermal vision to forces on the ground,” Šakalienė said.
According to public affairs, water, thick mud, and soft ground are complicating the recovery, necessitating specialized equipment for drainage and ground stabilization.
Polish officials announced Thursday that they are sending troops with engineering equipment to provide assistance.
As of Thursday afternoon, officials reported that land dredging equipment was en route and a dam was being reinforced to isolate the mud pumping area.
Šakalienė confirmed that the pressurized gas has been removed, making the site safe for operations.
The internal water waste agency is scheduled to deploy a water master dredger and over 900 feet of piping on Friday morning, expected to arrive at the location by midday.
Installation of the pipeline and dredgers will take several hours, with water influx expected to begin with the excavator by evening.
“The dredger pump usually pumps 80% of water, while working with 20% of mud or sludge, and the goal is to start working with the pump until the evening, so that, finally, on Saturday morning, a diver and the hydrographic team can use a multi-beam echo founder to assess the position of the vehicle, because we don’t know yet if it has overturned or what position it is in,” Šakalienė said.
A diver will attach cables for workers to use pulleys to tow the vehicle to shore.
“Then we will be able to check if the missing soldiers are inside,” she said.
Šakalienė stated that it is uncertain whether the soldiers escaped the vehicle before it sank, but reiterated that there is “no evidence” confirming their deaths as of Thursday afternoon.
The area consists of forests, swamps, and bogs, creating a challenging training environment similar to conditions found in Alaska.
“Maybe they were lost, confused, hurt or in hypothermic condition, and we haven’t found them yet,” Šakalienė said. “But we are not losing hope until the very last moment. These are strong soldiers, strong, grown men. All scenarios are possible.”
She emphasized Lithuania’s commitment to treating American soldiers as their own and ensuring they are not left behind.
“We are working with them. We are friends with them, and all of our society is heartbroken watching every single moment of this rescue operation,” Šakalienė said. “I have a 24-year-old son. It’s difficult for me even to imagine what they are going through. … Let me assure you, we will do everything in our power to find them and to find the answers as soon as possible.”
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on X that a task force of Polish soldiers with heavy equipment and frogmen were urgently being sent to Lithuania to assist.
“We are responding to a request from our allies #StrongerTogether,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote.
Lithuania, a NATO member, reportedly fears that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine could lead to a settlement enabling Russian President Vladimir Putin to threaten the region.
Lithuanian officials are in contact with U.S. Ambassador Kara C. McDonald and U.S. Army personnel.
“We are leveraging every available U.S. and Lithuanian asset to coordinate and provide the required resources for this effort,” wrote U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, the commanding general of 1st Armored Division.
According to U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the rescue mission has transitioned into “search and recovery efforts.”
“We are incredibly appreciative of the dedicated and professional efforts of our Lithuanian allies in ensuring the safety of U.S. personnel,” Taylor added. “They have worked tirelessly alongside us over the last 48 hours, and we continue to be grateful for their support.”
The U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division is providing updates to the soldiers’ families.
“This tragic situation weighs heavily on all of us, and we’re keeping the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers and recovery team in our thoughts and prayers,” Taylor wrote. “We want everyone to know we will not stop until our soldiers are found.”
President stated Wednesday that he had not been briefed on the missing soldiers.
The training site is located less than 6 miles from Belarus, a Russian ally since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.
Lithuania will hold a joint prayer at its main church, the capital cathedral, on Sunday, and will host a mass for the missing soldiers.
The White House and Fort Stewart have not yet responded to Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press and Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
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