The bodies of three American soldiers who went missing on March 25 during a military exercise have been found in Lithuania. Another soldier is still being sought.
This was reported by the US Army Command in Europe and Africa.
The soldiers were supposed to tow a malfunctioning American M88 Hercules tracked rescue vehicle. However, they went missing in the early morning of March 25.
The very next day, March 26, the vehicle was found submerged in a swamp. It was difficult to reach the sunken armored personnel carrier, as it continued to sink into the quagmire and sank four meters below the surface of the water.
The operation to raise it lasted six days and required significant resources — hundreds of military personnel from the United States, Lithuania, and Poland, engineering equipment, drones, and helicopters were involved. The car was only pulled out on March 31.
Rescue operation in Pabrade.
The search team is preparing to continue the search. Senior US, Lithuanian and NATO officials, including US Ambassador Kara McDonald and US Army commanders in Europe, have arrived at the scene of the operation.
A memorial service for the fallen American soldiers was held in Vilnius. The US military and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the causes of the tragedy.
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