AN EMPTY military tank has been found by authorities hunting four US soldiers who went missing during Nato drills in Lithuania.
The troops reportedly vanished while driving the armoured M88 Hercules as they took part in war exercises near the Belarus border.
Authorities said the vehicle in which the soldiers went missing was discovered submerged in a body of water, adding that search efforts for the soldiers were ongoing.
The US Army said in a statement: “The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the four missing US soldiers were operating during a training exercise has been located in Lithuania.
“The vehicle was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area… Recovery efforts are underway.
“The soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident.”
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was aware of the news but is awaiting “more details”.
Nato boss Rutte told reporters in Warsaw: “This is still early news, so we do not know the details.
“This is really terrible news, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones.”
His statements previously sparked fears that the soldiers were dead.
One US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the four soldiers were involved in a training accident.
Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reported that four US soldiers and a vehicle were reported missing during an exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, a town located less than six miles from the border with Belarus.
Helicopters from the Air Force and the State Border Guard Service were deployed in the search.
A possible location of the incident has been identified, and a rescue operation is understood to be underway, according to Lithuanian military spokesperson Major Gintautas Ciunis.
The US embassy confirmed in a social media statement on Wednesday that the four had gone missing at General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground near Pabrade in eastern Lithuania.
National Security and Defense Committee chairman Giedrimas Jeglinskas said after the soldiers were reported missing: “We truly appreciate and are grateful for the US presence here.
“We have created all the conditions for them to increase their military readiness.
“Such events do indeed occur during large-scale joint military exercises, not only among the Americans, but also in other armies.
“The aim is to reduce the likelihood of such things, but such things are not impossible.
“If there was some kind of accident, lessons are learned, and safety requirements are increased.”
Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda and Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas confirmed they were receiving information about the search operation.
The M88 Hercules is an extremely powerful military vehicle based on the Abrams tanks and can weigh up to 63 tonnes.
They have also been used in the war in Ukraine.
Lithuania hosts more than 1,000 American troops, who are stationed on a rotational basis.
They have chilly ties with Putin, especially since his bloody war in Ukraine.
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