A record-low Danube in Serbia has exposed about 20 German warship wrecks of varying sizes from World War II, and locals have been able to see them daily since March. The vessels belonged to Nazi Germany’s Black Sea flotilla and were scuttled in 1944 to keep them out of Soviet hands.
As the Associated Press recalls, the ships were part of the Third Reich’s Black Sea flotilla, which operated in the Black Sea, the Danube and rivers of the Soviet Union. In 1944, during the German retreat from Romania, the fleet took part in Operation Danube Elf. The plan was to reach open sea, but Allied attacks made that impossible, so orders were given to sink the ships.
The unusually low water level is the result of high temperatures and drought. One resident of Prahovo, a port near Negotin, told BBC Serbian that the wrecks have been visible much more often this year.
– Sometimes it happens in summer, sometimes in spring or autumn, depending on water level fluctuations. But this year, since March, they have been visible every day – one resident of Prahovo, a port near Negotin, told BBC Serbian.
Serbia plans to clear the river
Serbia has decided to remove the wrecks. Construction Minister Zorana Mihajlović said a contract launching the salvage operation was signed in May, and the project is expected to cost around 23 million euros.
– Thanks to it, we will finally have a Danube that can be safely navigated – said Construction Minister Zorana Mihajlović.
Heat wave hits power supplies across Europe
The same low water level is causing problems for several European countries. Moldova’s National Centre for Emergency Situations (CNMC) warned on Tuesday that power outages may occur. Ukraine, which is conducting military operations in the Black Sea, could use the river for cargo transport, but the head of Ukraine’s agriculture ministry said this is not possible at the current water level.
In Romania and Hungary, nuclear plants are affected because the Danube is used for cooling. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar warned on Monday that a further drop in the water level still poses a risk of shutting down power plants, and he called on residents to reduce energy consumption during the evening peak. At Romania’s Cernavoda plant, the operator decided to keep the second reactor running, saying conditions allow it, while the first unit remains offline until hydrological conditions improve.
Drinking water supply has also been disrupted. The southeastern Romanian locality of Mihail Kogalniceanu became the first in the country to have drinking water cut off during nighttime hours, according to local media reports on Tuesday, a measure meant to let the system rebuild its reserves.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
