Four US Army soldiers are missing in Eastern Europe after they disappeared on a training site in Lithuania while on NATO exercises, service officials said on Wednesday.
The four soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, based out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, were last seen early on Tuesday riding an armored vehicle during tactical training exercises at a military site near the city of Pabrade, in eastern Lithuania, just six miles from the border with Belarus — a staunch Russian ally, Army officials said.
“I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,” Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, V Corps commanding general, said in a statement. “It’s this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders.”
The 1st Armored Brigade was one of the earliest units deployed to NATO’s eastern flank in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The unit returned to Europe in January to start another nine-month rotation, reports Stars and Stripes.
Units within the brigade train in difficult, often-boggy conditions in Lithuania, Poland, and other parts of the Baltic countries.