Abnormal hot weather and severe drought prevailing in Europe have lowered the water level in the Danube River to a record level, bringing the remains of Nazi Germany warships sunk during World War II to the water’s surface near the settlement of Prahovo, Serbia.
Sea-news.az reports that work has intensified to remove these sunken maritime transport vehicles, which hinder navigation on sea and river routes passing through the territories of Serbia and Croatia.
By April, specialists had already raised seven warships from the riverbed, and the preparation process for the removal of the eighth ship is ongoing. Considering the risk of unexploded ordnance and sea mines remaining inside the hulls, thorough underwater inspections are conducted by divers and sappers prior to the operations. Safety is ensured by dividing several large maritime remnants that obstruct navigation into sections or relocating them to deeper waters so they do not block the fairway.
To clear the Danube River for maritime and shipping in the Prahovo zone, the European Commission has allocated a grant of 16.5 million euros, and the European Investment Bank has allocated a loan of approximately 14 million euros. In the first phase of the strategic project, the removal of 21 ships from the water is planned. In total, it is estimated that there are remnants of around 200 sunken ships in that river basin.
It should be noted that the warships in question were intentionally sunk in 1944 by the retreating Nazi Germany fleet toward the Kladovo direction to prevent them from falling into the hands of Soviet troops.
