The last five soldiers who went missing during military exercises near the Russian border in Norway’s Finnmark region have been foundAPA reports, citing NRK.
After the exercises concluded, seven soldiers failed to arrive at the assembly point on time, and contact with them was lost.
Rescuers, police, armed forces, and the Red Cross were involved in the search operations.
It was reported that two of the soldiers were initially located by helicopter during the night, and the remaining five were found in the morning hours.
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09:01
Five Norwegian soldiers remain missing in the municipality of Nesseby, in the eastern region of Finnmark, near the border with Russia, after failing to report at the end of a military exercise focused on evasion, camouflage, and concealment, APA reports, citing derechadiario.com.ar.
The search, which began on the night of October 2, involves rescue units, helicopters, and the police, and is taking place in challenging geographical conditions, with mountainous terrain, scattered forests, and swampy areas.
Initially, the disappearance of ten soldiers was reported, a combination of officers and conscripts (vernepliktige), all belonging to the Jegerbataljonen (Hunter Battalion) of the Sør-Varanger garrison.
During the afternoon and evening on Thursday, five of them were located: three returned on their own to the meeting point, while two were found by a rescue helicopter. All were in good health. However, the other five remain unaccounted for.
The search operation is focusing on the area between Varangerbotn and Gandvik, south of the E6 route. Due to poor mobile phone signal in the area, communication with the soldiers has been nonexistent. Weather conditions are favorable, although nightfall complicates the operation.
The military exercise, which has lasted almost two weeks, was scheduled to end on Thursday morning. However, the soldiers did not report at the agreed time and place.
According to Jørgen Haukland Hansen, chief of police operations in Finnmark, two hypotheses are being considered: a possible confusion regarding the reporting time, or that something more serious has occurred. Due to the time elapsed without contact, authorities fear there may be injuries or other emergencies.
Lieutenant Colonel Audun Jørstad, from the Norwegian Army, noted that this is not the first time soldiers have gone missing during this type of exercise, although it has been some time since police support was required.
He clarified that the personnel are highly trained to survive in adverse conditions and operate in small units, but acknowledged the inherent risks of this type of maneuver. Some of the missing soldiers have between 12 and 15 months of mandatory military service.
An encouraging fact is that, according to Jørstad, recent electronic signals have been detected that could indicate movement, which gives hope that the soldiers are on their way to being found. Despite this, there is still no radio contact.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Operational Staff in Bodø, Vegard Finberg, stated that the discovery of five soldiers is a positive sign that the operation is yielding results. The police continue to assess whether to maintain the operation during the night, although they acknowledge that the soldiers are trained to survive in open terrain.
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