WARSAW, Poland — NATO addressed comments made by Secretary-General Mark Rutte regarding the status of four U.S. soldiers who went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania. Earlier statements suggested that the soldiers had perished, but the U.S. Army has not confirmed their fates.
In a clarification statement on social media platform X, NATO expressed regret for any confusion and clarified that Rutte’s comments were based on preliminary news reports rather than confirmed events. The fate of the missing soldiers remains uncertain as search efforts continue.
The U.S. Army reported that the armored Hercules vehicle containing the four soldiers was discovered underwater. Collaborative recovery operations involving the U.S. Army, the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and local agencies are currently in progress.
The soldiers, part of the 1st Brigade from the 3rd Infantry Division, disappeared during tactical exercises. President Donald Trump, when questioned later on Wednesday, stated he had not been briefed about the soldiers’ situation.
While visiting Warsaw, Rutte noted he was informed of the situation during a lecture and expressed sympathy for the soldiers’ families and the United States itself. “This is still early news so we do not know the details. This is really terrible news, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones,” Rutte commented.
Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT indicated that the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training area near Pabrad?, close to the Belarusian border.
The Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, all NATO members, have maintained tense relations with Russia, a staunch Belarus ally, since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Tensions increased following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus?da vocally supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.