Dozens of Second World War warships have emerged from the Danube riverbed due to record-low water levels caused by an intense drought. These vessels were part of Adolf Hitler’s Black Sea fleet, deliberately sunk by the German military in September 1944 to impede the Soviet advance.
A broken-up hull is visible on a sandbank on the Serbian and Romanian border, a location typically submerged. Other vessels are partly underwater, with some believed to still contain weapons. Historians indicate that up to 200 German warships were scuttled in this manner.
The ships have been revealed during previous droughts, only to disappear again as water levels rose. Past attempts by the Serbian government to remove the wrecks have largely been unsuccessful due to the explosives they carry.
Other Second World War remnants have been discovered elsewhere along the river. A German military motorcycle was found in Budapest, Hungary, and in Slovakia, police recovered and detonated an unexploded British 1,543lb (700kg) bomb. Britain’s Royal Air Force mined the river in 1944 to disrupt enemy troops.
The Danube, Europe's second-longest river, flows through 10 countries and has become increasingly difficult to navigate due to low water levels creating hazardous conditions. Prolonged droughts have left major European rivers at significantly lower levels than is typical, contributing to an energy crisis as many power plants rely on their water supply for cooling.
Intense summer heat and ongoing drought conditions are being intensified by the human-caused climate crisis. Several countries in central and eastern Europe have registered record temperatures this week, with Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary affected. On Thursday, the Slovakian hydrometeorological agency reported a new national record of 42C (108F) in the village of Dolné Plachtince.