Rescue teams have recovered a sunken military vehicle in Lithuania, which was carrying four American soldiers who are missing, writes the English-language editorial staff of Radio Free Europe.
The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was recovered on March 31, six days after a rescue operation was launched at the "Pabrade" military training ground, near Lithuania's border with Belarus.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliane said the fate of the four soldiers had yet to be determined.
"We cannot talk about it at this point because, first of all, there is no information about it yet, and even when we get information, there is a strict agreement that the Americans will be the first to make any announcement," Šakaliane told Lithuanian state radio on March 31.
A military vehicle was found submerged in a swamp at the Pabrada military training ground on March 25, triggering a salvage effort.
Lithuania, a member of NATO and the European Union (EU), is host to more than 1.000 US troops stationed in the Baltic country on a rotational basis.
US Army Europe and Africa Command previously said the four soldiers were "conducting planned tactical training" when they went missing on March 25.
Several contradictory claims emerged in the early hours of the rescue operation, including comments by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that four American soldiers were dead. A NATO spokeswoman later denied those comments.
Bonus video:
