Missing US soldiers: Armored vehicle pulled from Lithuania swamp

Investigators have pulled out of a swamp the U.S. armored vehicle that went missing in Lithuania, though the fate of the four soldiers who are missing is still unknown.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė delivered the news in a Monday morning post on Facebook. She made clear that the U.S. Army would deliver the first information about the soldiers’ fate.

“Until the investigators have more details, we need to stay calm and focused, and keep in mind the sensitivity of the situation and the concerns of the soldiers’ families,” Šakalienė said.

The soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting tactical training when they went missing.

They were on an exercise at the massive General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė when they and their vehicle were reported missing in the early hours of Tuesday morning last week, the U.S. army said.

Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers and rescuers took part in the search through the thick forests and swampy terrain around Pabradė, which lies just 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of the border with Belarus.

The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was discovered on Wednesday submerged in 4.5 meters (15 feet) of water.

A large-scale recovery operation got underway but “water, thick mud and soft ground around the site have complicated recovery efforts and have required specialized equipment to drain water from the side and stabilize the ground” in order to pull the 70-ton vehicle ashore, the army said.

This is a breaking news story and more information will be added shortly.

This article uses reporting by The Associated Press.