Lithuania says vehicle carrying 4 US soldiers pulled from swamp; no news on the troops

An M88 armored personnel vehicle that was carrying four missing American soldiers has been removed from a swamp after six days of search operations in Lithuania, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry reported on March 31.

The U.S. soldiers and the tracked vehicle disappeared on March 25 in a training area near the Lithuanian city of Pabrade, some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Belarus. Pabrade is home to Camp Herkus, a U.S. military camp.

It is unclear whether the soldiers were inside the vehicle. The search and rescue operations are ongoing.

"You have patiently trusted the rescuers for so long, but now that trust is needed even more,"  Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said.

"Until the investigators have the knowledge, we need calm and focus — let us understand the delicacy of the situation and the sensitivity of the families of the soldiers."

Ukraine ceasefire could raise security risks for Baltic states, Estonian defense minister says

“We all understand that when the war in Ukraine will be stopped, Russia will redistribute its forces very quickly. That means also the threat level will increase significantly very quickly,” said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova