NATO clarifies that the search for the four US soldiers in Lithuania is continuing

NATO clarified in a statement that thesearch for the four U.S. soldiers missing in Lithuania continues to be active, after its secretary general Mark Rutte erroneously reported that the soldiers had died in the town of Pabrade, near the border with Belarus. "The search continues. We regret any confusion about the statements @SecGenNATO made in this regard today. He was referring to emerging news reports and was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown," NATO wrote on its X account.

Also, the U.S. Army reported that the Hercules armored vehicle in which the four U.S. soldiers were during their training maneuvers at the General Silvestras Zukauskas military training range was found submerged in a body of water. The Army stressed that recovery efforts are ongoing.

Hours earlier, the Army had issued a communique, where it revealed the first details about the disappearances, as well as informing that they were already working to find them.

"Four U.S. Army soldiers are currently missing in Lithuania in a training area near Pabrade. The U.S. Army, Lithuanian military and Lithuanian law enforcement, among others, are conducting a search. Search and recovery efforts are ongoing," the Army went on to report.

Prabade is a town located just a few miles from the border with Belarus.

The embassy confirmed that the missing soldiers are part of the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Lt. Col. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps, thanked them for the support being provided by the Lithuanian Army in trying to find the soldiers.

"I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the first responders who came quickly to our aid in the search operations. It is this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity, regardless of the flags we carry on our shoulders," he said.