Newsletters
Record-low water levels along the Danube River have brought several Nazi German warship wrecks from World War II back into view near the Serbian port of Prahovo.
According to Serbian media, visitors have begun heading to the area to see the exposed remains, which have also surfaced during previous periods of extreme summer heat and low water levels.
Many of the wrecks lie near the Iron Gate Gorge, a major river passage along the border between Serbia and Romania and one of Europe's largest and longest river gorges.
Their presence dates back to the final stages of World War II, when retreating Nazi German forces deliberately sank part of their Black Sea fleet as Soviet ships pursued them along the Danube.
The German military reportedly sent around 200 vessels of various types and sizes to the riverbed in an attempt to hold back the Soviet naval advance.
The wrecks near Prahovo can create serious obstacles for shipping, particularly when falling water levels narrow the Danube's navigable channels.
The European Union is supporting a program to remove the vessels considered most dangerous. Serbian public broadcaster RTS reported that seven of the 21 wrecks selected for removal have so far been cleared from the area.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
