Donald Trump Says He Wasn't Briefed About US Soldiers Missing in Lithuania

President Donald Trump has said he was not briefed about four U.S. Army soldiers reported missing during military exercises in Lithuania.

Why It Matters

Around 1,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in Lithuania on a rotational basis. Lithuania and Poland bracket the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, where Moscow bases its Baltic Sea naval fleet, and both NATO countries share significant land borders with key Russia ally, Belarus.

NATO has been fortifying its eastern flank, close to Russia, as alliance members ring increasingly loud alarm bells around whether Russia could attack the alliance's eastern edge. Baltic states like Lithuania have stormed ahead with alliance-wide efforts to pull up defense spending, albeit with deepening concerns over whether the tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel currently stationed on the continent will stay put throughout the Trump administration.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said during a visit to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday that Vilnius was pleased to host U.S. rotational battalions in the country, and that the Baltic state was ready to accept more American troops, according to a readout published by the foreign ministry.

Budrys said during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Lithuania provides "the best conditions for the U.S. troops to train and live in our country," the readout added.

What To Know

U.S. Army Europe and Africa said on Wednesday that four soldiers with the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were missing from the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area near Pabradė, which sits around six miles from the country's border with Belarus.

The soldiers were reported missing at roughly 4:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Lithuania's military said.

When asked by a reporter whether he had been briefed on the situation, Trump said: "No, I haven't."

The soldiers were carrying out "scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident," the U.S. Army said in a statement. It added that search efforts involved both the U.S. and Lithuanian militaries, along with law enforcement.

In a later update, the U.S. Army said that an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle, which the four soldiers were using at the time of the incident, had been found "submerged in a body of water."

Lithuania's Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė told LRT on Thursday that there were "positive signs" in the work to recover the armored vehicle, after rescue efforts continued overnight.

The vehicle is "several meters" underwater, and difficult to retrieve, the minister said.

NATO chief Mark Rutte appeared to confirm the deaths of the four soldiers during an appearance in Warsaw on Wednesday, before a spokesperson for the alliance clarified that the secretary-general "was referring to emerging news reports and was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown."

"We regret any confusion," acting NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said in a post to X.

"I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations," Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, the commanding general of the U.S. Army's V Corps stationed in Europe, said in a statement.

"It's this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders," Costanza said.

The U.S. has had its Camp Herkus base at Pabradė since 2021.

What People Are Saying

Lithuania's Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė told LRT: "There's no guarantee the soldiers are in [the vehicle]. Other scenarios are also being considered."

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said in a statement posted on X that "Lithuania greatly values the staunch partnership with the United States and deeply appreciates the U.S. military presence in our country. The people of Lithuania are heartbroken by the news about missing U.S. soldiers."

What Happens Next

Search and rescue operations are ongoing as of Thursday morning local time.

Update 3/27/25, 4:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.