Drought Exposes WWII German Warships in Serbia's Danube

Severe drought has caused water levels on the Danube River to fall sharply, exposing the remains of multiple German warships deliberately sunk by retreating Nazi forces near Prahovo in eastern Serbia during the final stages of World War II. The vessels are part of a larger fleet scuttled in 1944 as German forces withdrew from advancing Soviet troops. Long hidden beneath the river, portions of the wrecks have become visible again as unusually dry conditions reduce the river's depth.

The exposed wrecks continue to present navigational challenges because some still contain unexploded ammunition and other hazardous materials. Serbian authorities and European waterway officials have been working for years to assess, remove or secure the vessels to improve shipping safety along the Danube, a major commercial route linking Central and Eastern Europe to the Black Sea. Officials said low water levels have narrowed navigable channels in some areas, complicating river traffic while making more of the wartime wreckage accessible.