A group of U.S. soldiers remains missing after an incident near the Pabrade training area in Lithuania, just 20 km from the Belarusian border.
Search efforts continue
The four soldiers went missing during a training exercise on Tuesday afternoon. Ongoing rescue efforts, which include the use of helicopters and search teams, have not yet yielded results.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė confirmed that no bodies have been recovered, and the soldiers' deaths have not been verified, despite earlier media reports.
In response to a request from its allies, Poland has sent a task force to Lithuania, including dozens of soldiers, heavy equipment, and specialized divers, to assist in the search efforts.
Poland pledges support in effort to locate missing Americans
"We are responding to the request of our allies," said Poland's Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
General Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, also confirmed the support, stating, "We offered our assistance and will support our allies in this incredibly challenging search and rescue operation. The soldiers of this unit are well known to us, as we have often trained side by side in the defense of our own country."
The armored vehicle the soldiers were traveling in has been found submerged in a body of water on the training grounds, but no further traces of the soldiers have been discovered. Lithuanian, U.S., and NATO authorities continue their search and recovery efforts.
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Source: IAR/PAP/X/@DSakaliene/@KosiniakKamysz/@wieslawkukula