4 U.S. Army soldiers go missing in Lithuania during training exercise

Four U.S. soldiers went missing during tactical training in Lithuania, not far from its border with Belarus, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

The soldiers were in a training area near the town of Pabradė, which is about 30 miles south of the capital, Vilnius, and 6 miles from Lithuania’s border with Belarus, officials said.

The Army had been training with Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement, authorities said.

A search-and-recovery effort is underway for the soldiers, who are all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

“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, the V Corps commander, 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 former Soviet republic of Lithuania has been a NATO member since 2004.

Lithuania shares a 421-mile border with Belarus, led by authoritarian Alexander Lukashenko, dubbed “Europe’s last dictator.”

Lukashenko has been a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing him to use Belarus as a staging area for his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.