Brief
Jump to content UK Edition Change US Edition Asia Edition Edición en Español Sign up to our newsletters Subscribe now Log in / Register Independent Podcasts Europe: The Way Back Subscribe Menu News News Bulletin UK US World Global Aid UK Politics Money Brexit Health Business Science Space News Videos Premium Premium Politics Explained Editorials Voices Long Reads News Analysis Today’s Edition Sport Sport Football Formula 1 Rugby Union Cricket Tennis Boxing UFC Horse Racing Cycling Golf Sport Videos Voices Voices Editorials Your Views John Rentoul Mary Dejevsky Andrew Grice Sean O’Grady Culture Culture Film TV & Radio Music Games Books Art Photography Theatre & Dance Culture Videos Lifestyle Lifestyle Shopping Beauty Fitness & Wellbeing Tech Food & Drink Fashion Love & Sex Health & Families Royal Family Home Motoring Electric Vehicles Lifestyle Videos IndyBest IndyBest Home & Garden Gadgets & Tech Fashion & Beauty Deals Food & Drink Kids Books Travel & Outdoors Sports & Fitness Travel Travel Hotel Reviews News & Advice Cruises UK Europe North America Asia Australia & New Zealand South America C. America & Caribbean Middle East More Deals Travel Deals Fashion Deals Home & Garden Deals Tech Deals Climate News Climate 100 Electric Vehicles Voices Sustainable Living Explained Climate Videos Solar Panels TV Documentaries ACFC Well Enough World of Trouble Travel Smart Drive Smart Money Smart Decomplicated On The Ground Indy100 Today’s Edition Crosswords & Puzzles Most Commented Newsletters Ask Me Anything Virtual Events Betting Sites Casino Sites Thank you for registering Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in Swipe for next article News World Europe Ghost fleet of Nazi warships resurfaces as the Danube river runs dry The ships, some still laden with weapons, belonged to Nazi Germany’s Black Sea fleet Marko Drobnjakovic Wednesday 05 August 2026 11:28 BST Bookmark Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks Close popover open image in gallery The wreckage of a WWII German warship emerges, due to the drought, in front of Djerdap II, a large dam on the Danube River, between Romania and Serbia, near Prahovo, Serbia, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) ( AP ) The Way Back. Join our community exploring how Britain can rebuild its future in Europe Join the debate with our pro-Europe newsletter Join the debate with our pro-Europe newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Danube River , the second longest in Europe , is running so low that dozens of Nazi battleships are emerging from the riverbed. The river runs through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine Water has dropped so low because of drought and brutal heatwaves that the hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships are emerging into view, distracting from the summer heat crisis. The Danube’s record low water levels also have forced power plants to the brink of shutting down, and governments across Central and Eastern Europe are taking steps to conserve electricity. In the middle of the river separating Serbia and Romania near the Serbian port of Prahovo, a rusty hull is now visible along with a broken mast where the Nazi flag used to fly. The ships, some still laden with weapons, belonged to Nazi Germany ’s Black Sea fleet that the Germans deliberately sank as they retreated from Romania and as Soviet forces advanced deeper into Europe near the end of the war. open image in gallery The wreckage of a WWII German warship emerges, due to the drought, in front of Djerdap II, a large dam on the Danube River, between Romania and Serbia, near Prahovo, Serbia, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) ( AP ) Data from Hungary's Water Authority showed that the Danube's water level in Budapest plummeted last Thursday morning to within eight centimetres of the record low established eight years ago. Historians say up to 200 German warships were scuttled in September 1944 near Prahovo in the Danube gorge as they came under Soviet fire. The idea behind the deliberate sinking was to slow down the Soviet advance in the Balkans . But Nazi Germany surrendered months later, in May 1945. open image in gallery People watch the wreckage of a WWII German warship, emerged due to the drought, in front of Djerdap II, a large dam on the Danube River, between Romania and Serbia, near Prahovo, Serbia, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The sight of the old warships is a reminder that the Serbian government, with European Union financial support, has long been trying to do something about them. Some were removed from the river by Communist Yugoslav authorities, but most have remained because of the explosives they carried. Now, however, authorities are trying to keep traffic flowing on the Danube, which flows through 10 nations, as the dropping water levels create dangerous conditions. Experts have linked the unusually hot weather to global warming and other factors. Krsta Brandic, a Prahovo resident, said the low water levels have almost stopped ship traffic: “As you can see, the (big) ships can’t pass anymore." The Danube in Hungary is running dry Romania shut down both reactors at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant due to low water levels in the Danube River used to cool them. Meanwhile, near-record low water levels on the Danube have also left several cruise ships stranded north of Budapest and forced the suspension of sightseeing trips. More about Danube river Serbia Germans Romania Soviet Eastern Europe Nazi Germany Nazi Experts Balkans Belgrade European Union Most popular Popular videos Bulletin Read next Get in touch Contact us Our Products Subscribe Register Newsletters Donate Today’s Edition Install our app Archive Other publications International editions Independent en Español Independent Arabia Independent Turkish Independent Persian Independent Urdu The Standard Extras Puzzles All topics Betting offers Latest deals Competitions and offers Independent Advertising Independent Ignite Syndication Working at The Independent Legal Code of conduct and complaints Contributors Cookie policy Donations Terms & Conditions Privacy policy User policies Modern Slavery Statement Thank you for registering Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in
Original source
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/danube-river-nazi-ship-dry-b3027627.html
Comments
No comments yet.
Sign in to comment.