RIGA, Latvia — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told news agencies on Wednesday that four U.S. soldiers who went missing during military exercises in Lithuania had died.
He told reporters during a trip to Warsaw it was still early news and there were no further details. NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart later walked back Rutte’s remarks, noting that the soldiers should be considered missing.
“The Secretary General was referring to news reports that had just emerged,” she said. “He did not confirm the death of the four U.S. soldiers, but noted that the details remain unconfirmed.”
The U.S. military said in a statement that a recovery effort was still underway after an armored vehicle was discovered submerged in a body of water at a training ground. “Search efforts for the Soldiers continue,” the U.S. military said.
Lithuanian military and rescue services and U.S. troops began a search for the men when they went missing Tuesday afternoon at the training ground near Pabrade in eastern Lithuania near the Belarusian border.
They were traveling in an M88 recovery vehicle, a large tracked armored vehicle used to recover other tanks, the U.S. military said.
The men are part of the 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Brigade, that was carrying out a tactical training exercise, according to the U.S. military.
Ignas Grinevicius, a spokesman for the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, said men and helicopters from the Lithuanian air force and border guard service were involved in the search.
German and U.S. forces are deployed in Lithuania alongside Lithuanian troops as part of NATO’s eastern flank defenses to deter a Russian attack on the Baltic states.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he was being constantly updated on the rescue operation. Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene was on her way to the training ground late Wednesday to inspect the search and to show solidarity with American forces, according to her office.
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commander of the U.S. V Corps, thanked the Lithuanian military and first responders who assisted in the search.
Ellen Francis in Brussels contributed to this report.
