Drought Lowers Danube Water, Exposing Sunken WWII German Vessels
Record low water levels on the Danube have revealed the hulls of German warships scuttled in 1944, while the drought threatens navigation and power generation across the region.
Water levels on the Danube River have fallen to record lows, uncovering the rusted hulls of German warships that were deliberately sunk in September 1944 near the Serbian port of Prahovo. The vessels, part of Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet, were scuttled as the retreating forces attempted to impede the Soviet advance in the Balkans. Historians estimate that up to 200 ships were abandoned in the Danube gorge, many still containing unexploded ordnance, which has limited their removal.
The exposed wrecks are drawing attention as the drought-driven water drop also forces power plants to the brink of shutdown and hampers commercial navigation. Authorities in Serbia, supported by European Union funding, are working to keep the river open for traffic that traverses ten nations.
"As you can see, the (big) ships can't pass anymore," said Krsta Brandic, a resident of Prahovo.
Experts link the extreme heat and reduced river flow to broader climate trends, prompting regional governments to implement electricity-saving measures. The situation underscores the combined challenges of historical legacy, energy security and climate-related water scarcity in Central and Eastern Europe.