Mystery deepens over four missing US soldiers in Lithuania after abandoned tank found
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Mystery surrounds four US soldiers missing in Lithuania
- Four U.S. Army soldiers went missing during a training exercise in Pabradė, Lithuania, after their M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle was found submerged in a peat bog.
- An extensive search and rescue operation involving U.S. and Lithuanian forces is underway, with efforts focused on draining the bog and digging for the vehicle.
- The vehicle was found submerged more than 15 feet deep, and while there are "positive signs," there's no confirmation the soldiers were inside when it went under.
- Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte prematurely and incorrectly announced the soldiers' deaths, later retracting his statement.
- The incident occurs amidst heightened tensions in Eastern Europe, given Lithuania's Nato membership and proximity to Belarus, a Russian ally.