4 US soldiers found dead in Lithuania after vehicle sunk in swamp: NYT
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The fourth missing soldier was found dead.
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US Army soldiers walk while recovery efforts continue for four missing US soldiers near the spot where their Hercules armored vehicle was found submerged at a training range in Pabrade, north of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, on March 28, 2025. (AP)
The New York Times (NYT) reported on March 31 that three US Army soldiers were found dead in Lithuania on Monday, nearly a week after their armored vehicle became stuck in a deep, muddy bog during a training mission, the Army reported.
A fourth soldier, who was missing, was later found dead following extensive search efforts.
"Deeply saddened to announce that the body of the fourth U.S. soldier, who was training in Lithuania, has been found," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on the social media platform X, offering condolences.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed the fourth death.
Nauseda also thanked those who helped "find the one remaining soldier still missing under such challenging conditions."
The 70-ton M88 Hercules vehicle was successfully recovered from the bog early Monday morning after days of complex recovery work by hundreds of people, including US Navy divers and technical experts.
The soldiers were reported missing on Tuesday when they didn’t return from the mission, and their vehicle was found submerged on Wednesday. The soldiers from the First Brigade, Third Infantry Division, had been training near Pabrade, a city in eastern Lithuania near the Belarus border.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commanding general of the Third Infantry Division, stated on Monday, “The search isn’t finished until everyone is home.”
He also expressed his deep gratitude, saying, “Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found.”
The soldiers had been dispatched in the M88 Hercules, a large armored tow truck, to recover another Army vehicle. It is believed they may have driven off the road into the bog and became trapped inside.
US Navy divers entered the muddy bog with zero visibility on Sunday night to attach two cables to the sunken vehicle. The recovery took about two hours of winching to pull it out.
Hundreds of soldiers involved in search
Rescue efforts were delayed by a landslide on Sunday, with Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene describing the situation on social media as an “exhausting fight with the power of the deep swamp.”
The NYT reported that the search for the fourth soldier was expected to be difficult, according to a senior US Army official in Europe.
While American and Lithuanian search teams used advanced sonar technology to locate the large armored vehicle, the technology is less effective for finding human bodies in a peat bog. To address this, the dive team has established a grid system to systematically search for the fourth soldier.
The initial search, which involved Lithuanian military helicopters and dive teams along with hundreds of American and Lithuanian soldiers and law enforcement officers, navigated thick forests and swampy terrain, the US Army reported.
On a related note, in late February, NBC News, citing sources, reported that the United States is weighing the option of reducing its military presence in Europe as it shifts its focus to the Asia-Pacific region and the Mexico border.
According to the media outlet, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth privately told Ukrainian officials during a closed-door meeting with Volodymr Zelensky that US President Donald Trump was considering reducing US forces in European countries.
This information was confirmed to NBC News by five US officials and a person familiar with the meeting.
They noted that the Pentagon chief’s statement "stunned" the Ukrainian delegation, as Kiev viewed such prospects as a long-term security threat. The US Department of Defense officially denied such remarks by Hegseth.
