Four US soldiers were killed in a plane crash in a Norwegian town in the Arctic Circle during a NATO exercise unrelated to the Ukraine war, Norway's prime minister said Saturday. Jonas Gahr Stoere tweeted that they were killed in the crash on Friday night. The cause was under investigation, but Norwegian police reported bad weather in the area, per the AP. "The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response," Gahr Stoere said. "Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers' families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit." The plane was an MV-22B Osprey that belongs to the US Marine Corps, Norway's armed forces said.
"The aircraft had a crew of four and was out on a training mission in Nordland County" in northern Norway, according to a statement. It was on its way north to Bodoe, where it was scheduled to land just before 6pm Friday. The plane crashed in Graetaedalen in Beiarn, south of Bodoe. Police said a search and rescue mission was launched immediately. At 1:30am Saturday, the police arrived at the scene and confirmed that the crew of four had died. "We can confirm an incident has occurred involving a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft," the US Marines said in a tweet. "The cause of the incident is under investigation, and additional details will be provided as available."
The annual NATO drills in Norway are unrelated to the war in Ukraine. This year they include around 30,000 troops, 220 aircraft, and 50 vessels from 27 countries. Non-NATO members Finland and Sweden are also participating. The exercises began on March 14 and end on April 1. The first Cold Response exercise was held in 2006, and the drills have been conducted a total of eight times over the years. They take place in southeastern, central, and northern Norway. Lt. Gen. Yngve Odlo, head of the Norwegian Armed Forces' operational headquarters, said that Cold Response would continue despite the crash. Police launched an investigation into the crash, and accident commission members and police representatives were due to arrive at the crash site on Saturday.
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