The Lithuanian Defense Ministry announced on Monday that they had successfully retrieved a U.S. military vehicle from a deep, muddy bog nearly a week after American soldiers riding in it were reported missing. The vehicle was pulled out on Sunday night, but there was no update on the missing soldiers.

These soldiers, from the First Brigade, Third Infantry Division, were on a training mission near the Belarus border and were last seen on Tuesday. Their M88 Hercules vehicle was found submerged in the bog on Wednesday. The mission was aimed at extracting another Army vehicle, but it seems they drove off the road and got trapped inside.

Rescue efforts faced challenges, including a landslide and difficult terrain. U.S. Navy divers had to swim into the bog to attach cables to the vehicle, and rescue teams had to excavate and pump out water from the bog. The search involved Lithuanian military helicopters, dive teams, and hundreds of American and Lithuanian soldiers and law enforcement officers, showcasing the value of allies working together, as emphasized by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. Poland, another NATO member, also sent military engineers to assist in the recovery efforts. Both Belarus and Russia have criticized Lithuania for hosting American and other allied troops, given Lithuania’s history as part of the Soviet Union and concerns over President Trump’s potential weakening of NATO.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/world/europe/lithuania-us-army-soldiers-swamp.html