Five Norwegian soldiers missing during military exercises near Russian border

Norwegian authorities are continuing the search for five soldiers who disappeared during military exercises in Finnmark province, which borders Russia’s Murmansk Oblast to the east.

The missing soldiers were taking part in manoeuvres that lasted nearly two weeks, where participants were practising techniques to remain undetected.

The training was scheduled to conclude on the morning of Thursday, October 2. However, according to Norwegian media sources, cited by Caliber.Az, ten soldiers failed to appear at the designated location at the agreed time.

Search efforts quickly reduced the number of missing, as five soldiers were located alive and unharmed. Three reached the rendezvous point independently, while two others were rescued with the help of a helicopter. The search continues for the remaining five servicemen, who include both officers and conscripts.

Police officials reported that GPS coordinates had been received only a few hours earlier, though they have not yet led to the discovery of the soldiers.

Investigators are currently working with two possible explanations: that the servicemen may have misinterpreted the meeting time, or that one of them was injured or became lost, causing a delay for the group.

Lieutenant Colonel Audun Jørstad confirmed that such incidents are not entirely unprecedented.
“But we haven’t had to call on the police for help in a long time.

The military searched for 12 hours before the police got involved,” he explained. Jørstad acknowledged that the manoeuvres are inherently “risky,” but stressed that the soldiers are well trained and prepared for the challenges involved.

By Tamilla Hasanova