Low water levels: EU clears old Nazi warships from the Danube

Near Prahovo in Serbia, relics of the Second World War emerge when river levels are low. On the riverbed lie numerous wrecks of German warships scuttled by their crews in 1944 as they retreated from the Red Army.

The closures increase dependence on imported power at a time when the grid is already under strain.

Historically low water levels along Europe's second-longest river have led Hungary and Romania to reduce output at key nuclear plants. Danube tourism and river cargo have also been severely affected by Europe's heatwave.

30 July 2026 Romania has shut down both reactors at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant after the Danube's water level fell to exceptionally low levels due to severe drought, taking offline a facility that normally supplies around one-fifth of the country's electricity. Interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan urged household