Four American soldiers have been missing in Lithuania since March 25, 2025, when they were involved in an accident during a NATO training exercise. The soldiers were participating in NATO training in Lithuania. They were reported missing near Pabradė town, which is near the Belarusian border. The soldiers are still missing, and rescue teams continue to search for them.
How did the four get lost?
The accident happened on the 25th of March 2025 in the afternoon. The soldiers belonged to the 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Brigade of the US Army. Soldiers were doing their daily training mission when the accident happened.
The soldiers were taking part in NATO training in Lithuania. They were driving M88 Hercules. M88 Hercules is a vehicle used to help other military vehicles. Unfortunately, during the training, the vehicle went down in a muddy area. This incident happened around 7 PM on Tuesday. , according to local news. The soldier inside the vehicle sank down and since then they have gone missing. Lithuania’s military has not confirmed the exact details till now, but local reports state that the four may have drowned after the incident.
Is the search going on?
The Lithuanian and US military teams started searching for soldiers immediately after the vehicle sank down. The search team tried their best to find them through helicopters and divers. However, till now they have not been able to locate the soldiers yet. Although the search is still going on.
The US military is working closely with Lithuania’s military to search for soldiers. They are helping soldiers’ families too by providing them with timely updates. The US Embassy situated in Lithuania is in contact with the families. They are providing them with support and information.
What did NATO say on this?
The soldiers are a part of NATO. NATO refers to a group of countries that work together for defence. The US, Canada, Ukraine and many European countries are a part of NATO. Lithuania is also a part of them. It hosts NATO training exercises to help soldiers practice and stay ready.
NATO leaders are concerned about the incident. They have sent condolences to the families of the soldiers and thanked the people for searching for them. Mark Rutte, NATO’s leader said that the situation was “terrible”. They had encouraged everyone to search for the soldiers.
Where Did They Go Missing?
The soldiers went missing near Pabradė, in an area called the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area. This place is used for NATO training for the military. It is near the Belarusian border. The area is important for NATO’s training defence plans, but it is also difficult to search because it has forests, swamps, and other tricky land.
The soldiers were using the M88 Hercules vehicle when it sank. The vehicle went into the mud, and it is still unclear why it sank. The soldiers were not able to escape. The search teams are trying to find both the vehicle and the soldiers.
Will They Be Found?
The search is still going on. The teams are hopeful, but it is not easy. The area is hard to search because the vehicle is underwater. The unpredictable weather has also searched harder. But the teams are still working hard and will not stop until they find the soldiers. The Lithuanian Army wrote on X that there is no evidence found confirming the death of the troops and that a rescue operation is still ongoing.
What’s Next?
The U.S. Army and Lithuanian officials are looking for the reason for the incident. They will soon find out why the vehicle sank during NATO training and why the soldiers could not get out.
Both the U.S. and Lithuanian governments are focused on helping the families of the missing soldiers. They are doing everything they can to find the soldiers and bring them home.
