Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė expressed her condolences on Monday for the United States soldiers who died at the Pabradė training ground and said that this is a "very sad day for all of Lithuania."
"We express our condolences with all our hearts. This is a very painful loss and a very sad day for all of Lithuania," the minister wrote on Facebook.
"These young soldiers "will always remain in the heart of Lithuania. We feel deep gratitude for their selfless sacrifice in choosing the military profession. Their example will always remind us of what true courage means," said D. Šakalienė.
JAV The European and African Command announced on Monday that the bodies of three of the four US soldiers reported missing have been found in a swamp at the Pabradė training ground.
According to the command, the identities of the soldiers found in the armored vehicle will still be confirmed by relatives, and the search for the fourth missing soldier is still ongoing.
"We will continue the search for the fourth missing soldier, we will not stop until we find him," said D. Šakalienė.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys expressed his condolences and said that his thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the soldiers.
"We are experiencing this loss as our own," said the head of Lithuanian diplomacy.
"We are extremely grateful to our closest allies for their presence in Lithuania. US forces in Lithuania and a strong transatlantic relationship are of paramount importance to Lithuania, the region, and the entire transatlantic space. Lithuania and the US are connected by strong mutual trust. Lithuania will continue to provide all possible support to allied forces serving in our country," he added.
As reported by BNS, the M88 Hercules tracked rescue vehicle with four American soldiers on board went missing on Tuesday of last week during an exercise at the Pabradė training ground in the Švenčionys district.
The equipment in question was discovered on Wednesday at a depth of approximately five meters in a swampy area.
The armored vehicle was pulled out early Monday morning during a large-scale rescue operation involving Lithuanian, US, and Polish soldiers, as well as specialists from other Lithuanian services.
Author Saulius Jakučionis
[email protected], +370 5 205 85 10, Lithuanian news department
