Four American Soldiers Missing in Lithuania Spark Large-Scale Search and Rescue

The United States Embassy in Lithuania reported on Wednesday (March 26) that four U.S. Army soldiers have gone missing during training in Lithuania. Local authorities and the police are currently conducting search and rescue operations in collaboration with the U.S. military.

According to a post on social media platform X by the U.S. Embassy, the missing soldiers lost contact near the training grounds in the eastern border city of Pabrade, which is close to Belarus. However, the specific time of their disappearance was not provided.

“These soldiers are all members of the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division,” the statement said, “and ongoing search and rescue operations are underway.”

The U.S. Army European and Africa Command issued a statement confirming that the four individuals were participating in scheduled tactical training at the time, and emphasized that any further updates will be promptly disclosed.

Reported by Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT, the incident took place on Tuesday afternoon at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabrade, which is less than 10 kilometers from the Belarusian border. It was reported that a tracked vehicle and four American soldiers were out of contact at that time.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces confirmed the incident on the same day and immediately launched search and rescue operations, involving Lithuanian and allied forces, as well as air force helicopters and the National Border Guard. The search team has identified a potential incident location, and the operation is still being led by the Lithuanian military with support from firefighting and rescue departments.

Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, Commander of the U.S. Army’s V Corps, expressed gratitude for the immediate assistance from the Lithuanian side: “This demonstrates the importance of our partnership and mutual humanitarian spirit, regardless of the flags we wear.”

Giedrimas Jeglinskas, Chairman of the National Security and Defense Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament, confirmed the information to LRT RADIO but stated that the military authorities prefer all parties to maintain a low profile, avoid making comments, and respect the ongoing investigative process.