NATO Walks Back Early Reports of US Troops' Deaths

The search continues for four US Army soldiers missing in Lithuania, after earlier reports of their deaths were deemed premature. "The search is ongoing. We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today," a NATO spokesperson announced on Wednesday, referring to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's remarks earlier that day noting "four American soldiers who were killed," per NBC News. Rutte "was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown," the NATO rep now says. The soldiers, all reportedly from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were reportedly conducting a training exercise near Pabrade when they vanished.

The US Army says that the M88 Hercules armored vehicle that the troops had been riding in was found submerged more than 16 feet in a peat bog, with search and recovery efforts now in progress by the American and Lithuanian militaries, as well as by civilian agencies. "People working round the clock. Everybody remains on standby, ready to provide emergency medical support," Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene posted on X on Thursday. Sakaliene says that recovery efforts have so far included ground reinforcement, pumping water out of the spot where the vehicle was found, and depressurizing a gas pipeline. (More Lithuania stories.)