Four US soldiers in a Hercules armored vehicle went missing during a tactical training exercise in Lithuania on Tuesday.
The US Army said the vehicle had been found submerged in water at the Pabrade training ground, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Belarus, adding that attempts are being made to recover the vehicle.
“The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the four missing US Soldiers were operating during a training exercise has been located in Lithuania,” the US Army said in a statement, according to Reuters.
NBC News reported on Thursday morning that the vehicle was buried more than 16 feet (4.9 meters) below ground, and Lithuanian rescuers were digging in a peat bog in an attempt to recover the vehicle.
Whether the soldiers, all from the US Army’s 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, are still inside the submerged vehicle remains unknown.
AP News, citing comments from NATO, denied earlier remarks by NATO Chief Mark Rutte that the four missing US soldiers had died.
“The search is ongoing… We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown,” NATO said in a statement on X on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday evening that he was not briefed on the missing soldiers when asked by a reporter.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas was seen at the scene of the incident in his X update on Thursday morning, where he expressed support for the rescue operation.
“Expressed my Government’s full solidarity and support for the ongoing rescue operation of missing US troops. Our thoughts & prayers are with their families and brothers in arms,” Paluckas wrote.