Record low water levels in the Danube have revealed dozens of ships from the Second World War
Kyiv • UNN
Due to a record drought, the Danube's water level fell, revealing the hulls of around 200 sunken German military vessels. They were deliberately sunk in 1944 to slow the advance of Soviet forces.
The water level in the Danube, the second-longest river in Europe, has fallen so low due to drought that the hulls of dozens of German military ships from World War II have begun to emerge from the water. Associated Press reports, writes UNN.
Details
According to the publication, the appearance of the sunken ships has become an unusual consequence of the summer drought that has swept across Europe. At the same time, the record low water level in the Danube is creating serious problems: some power plants are at risk of shutting down because of the low water level, while the governments of Central and Eastern European countries are being forced to introduce electricity-saving measures.
In the middle of the river, which separates Serbia and Romania near the Serbian port of Prahovo, a rusty ship's hull and a broken mast can now be seen; a Nazi flag once flew from it.
These ships, some of which still contain weapons, belonged to Nazi Germany's Black Sea Fleet. The Germans deliberately sank them while retreating from Romania as Soviet troops advanced deeper into Europe toward the end of the war.
Historians say that up to 200 German military ships were deliberately sunk near Prahovo, in a gorge of the Danube, in September 1944 after coming under fire from Soviet troops. The aim was to slow the Red Army's advance into the Balkans. However, just a few months later, in May 1945, Nazi Germany capitulated.
The appearance of the old warships is a reminder that the Serbian government, with financial support from the European Union, has long been trying to resolve the problem of these sunken vessels. Some of them were raised from the river back in the days of communist Yugoslavia, but most remained on the riverbed because of the dangerous explosive munitions on board.
The authorities are currently trying to ensure uninterrupted navigation on the Danube, which flows through ten countries, as the falling water level is creating dangerous conditions for vessel traffic. Experts link the unusually hot weather to global warming and other factors.
Prahovo resident Krsta Brandić said that the low water level had almost completely halted shipping: "As you can see, large ships can no longer pass."