US military confirms 3 missing soldiers in Lithuania are dead

RIGA, Latvia — After recovering a tank that had sunk metres deep in mud, the U.S. military has confirmed the deaths of three of four soldiers missing in Lithuania.

The search for the fourth soldier at the Pabradė military training area continues, the U.S. Army’s European Command Headquarters in the German city of Wiesbaden said in a statement on Monday.

The four U.S. soldiers have been missing since last Tuesday. They could no longer be found after an exercise in which, according to the U.S., they were conducting planned tactical training.

The Lithuanian military and police then launched a joint search operation with the U.S. military.

The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle was later discovered at a depth of about five meter in a swampy area of the training ground.

After days of search efforts, the rescue teams managed to recover the heavy military vehicle in the early hours of Monday.

“The Soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just Soldiers - they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home,” said Major General Christopher Norrie, the 3rd Infantry Division commanding general.