An M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle belonging to the United States Armed Forces remains submerged beneath a thick layer of water and mud in a swampy area near the Pabrade training field in Lithuania.
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The incident occurred during military maneuvers on Tuesday (26), when four American soldiers went missing after the vehicle sank.
According to information released by the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command via X (formerly Twitter), the armored vehicle is located about four meters below the surface of the water and covered by approximately two meters of mud. Diving operations are ongoing in an effort to reach the vehicle and locate the missing personnel.
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On Sunday (31), rescue teams managed to attach two cables to the sunken vehicle—a significant step toward stabilizing the M88 Hercules, which was at risk of sinking deeper. “Engineers expect to begin lifting the Hercules on Monday morning. The peat terrain remains challenging, but rescuers are determined,” the Army said in an official statement.
The complexity of the mission is mainly due to the swampy terrain and poor visibility. On Saturday (30), divers attempted to reach the armored vehicle but were blocked by a thick layer of sludge.
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The disappearance of the soldiers triggered a rescue operation the following day, mobilizing engineers and specialized divers. It is still unknown whether the soldiers were inside the vehicle at the time of the sinking, which keeps the status of the four as missing.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda commented on the incident in a local media interview: “Although many skeptics might say nothing should be expected under these circumstances, I hope for a miracle.”
The causes of the incident have not yet been determined, but it is believed that darkness and unfamiliarity with the terrain may have contributed to the armored vehicle veering off its planned course, leading to the sinking.
Rescue operations will continue in the coming hours, with expectations that the vehicle will be recovered from the mud later this week. So far, the names of the missing soldiers have not been released.
Source and images: x @USArmyEURAF / europeafrica.army.mil. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
Gitanas Nauseda, Lithuania, M88 Hercules, American soldiers, U.S. military, Lithuanian swamp, Lithuania
