A severe drought and heatwave scorching Eastern Europe has caused the Danube River's water levels to plummet to historic lows, exposing sunken World War II ships and ancient mammoth bones. This situation has created a unique historical spectacle along the riverbanks.
Near the Serbian port of Prahovo, at least 20 German warships from World War II have surfaced. Some of these vessels, belonging to Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet, still retain their armaments. One ship, with a visibly weathered hull and a broken mast where a Nazi flag once flew, has become a point of interest for onlookers. These ships were deliberately sunk by German commanders in September 1944 as they retreated from Soviet forces. While some were salvaged by Yugoslav authorities at the time, the majority remained submerged due to the potential danger of unexploded ordnance they carried.
The receding waters have also impacted river navigation. Krsta Brandic, a resident of Prahovo, noted that large ships can no longer pass through the affected areas, highlighting the challenges for Danube traffic. The Danube, Europe's second-longest river, flows through 10 countries, making its navigation crucial for regional commerce.
In addition to the historical shipwrecks, the low water levels have uncovered prehistoric artifacts. In Bulgaria, near the city of Ruse, fragments of a woolly mammoth jawbone and tusk were discovered on the riverbed. Officials from the Regional Historical Museum believe these remains likely belong to a mammoth that lived during the Ice Age.
