NATO Clarifies Statement on Missing U.S. Soldiers in Lithuania

NATO Clarifies Statement on Missing U.S. Soldiers in Lithuania

NATO issued a clarification on Wednesday regarding comments made by Secretary-General Mark Rutte about four missing U.S. soldiers in Lithuania. Rutte had earlier suggested that the soldiers had died, but NATO later stressed that their fate remains unconfirmed.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), NATO addressed the misunderstanding:

“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.”

The U.S. Army also confirmed that efforts to locate the soldiers continue.

The missing soldiers, all from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were participating in tactical training when they disappeared. Their Hercules armored vehicle was found submerged in a body of water, prompting a joint recovery operation by the U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces, and civilian agencies.

When asked about the situation on Wednesday evening, former President Donald Trump stated, “No, I haven’t [been briefed].”

Speaking in Warsaw, Rutte mentioned he had received word of the soldiers’ presumed deaths while delivering a lecture:

“This is still early news, so we do not know the details. This is really terrible news, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones.”

According to Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT, the soldiers and their vehicle were reported missing on Tuesday afternoon during an exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė. The site is less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Belarusian border.

Lithuania, along with neighboring Baltic nations Latvia and Estonia, is a NATO member. Tensions in the region have been high, particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in its resistance against Russian forces.

As search and recovery efforts continue, NATO and U.S. officials emphasize that no conclusions have been drawn regarding the fate of the soldiers. Further updates are expected as the situation develops.