{
  "id": 171346,
  "title": "Low water levels in the Danube revealing Nazi shipwrecks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/low-water-levels-in-the-danube-revealing-nazi-shipwrecks",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-05T09:47:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW News",
    "slug": "dw-news",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/low-water-levels-in-the-danube-revealing-nazi-shipwrecks/a-78242343?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Danube, Europe's second-longest river, has receded to such an extent that German battleships from World War II are now visible on the riverbed near Prahovo, a Serbian port. This revelation occurred as the water level in the Danube dropped so low that the rusty hull and broken mast of a Nazi-sunk ship emerged, where the vessel was purposely scuttled to avoid capture by the Russians. The Serbian government has been lobbying the European Union for assistance in removing what are presumed to be hundreds of sunken ships, some still carrying weapons, from the river floor. However, identifying their precise locations without risking the detonation of explosives onboard has proven challenging. The low water levels in the Danube have pushed several power plants in Central and Eastern Europe to the verge of shutting down. Ferries, tourism boats, and shipping along the Danube and the Rhine have also been significantly reduced due to the ongoing drought. Climate change has exacerbated the issue, making low water levels in Europe's major waterways a regular concern over recent years.",
  "summary": "There are believed to be about 200 Nazi ships on the floor of the Danube near Prahovo, Serbia. Ferries, tourist boats, and shipping have also become severely restricted due to the drought.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Nazi ships, mammoth bones emerge as Danube River dries up",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/nazi-ships-mammoth-bones-emerge-as-danube-river-dries-up",
        "published": "2026-08-04T19:23:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Fortune",
        "title": "Danube River’s shrinking water levels expose dozens of World War II ships",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/danube-rivers-shrinking-water-levels-expose-dozens-of-world-war-ii",
        "published": "2026-08-04T21:29:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "World War II Nazi ships appear as Danube river dries up",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/world-war-ii-nazi-ships-appear-as-danube-river-dries-up",
        "published": "2026-08-05T05:56:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour Science",
        "title": "The Danube River's water is dropping so low that World War II ships are emerging",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/the-danube-rivers-water-is-dropping-so-low-that-world-war-ii-ships",
        "published": "2026-08-05T18:17:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hellenic Shipping News",
        "title": "The Danube River’s water is dropping so low that World War II ships are emerging",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/the-danube-rivers-water-is-dropping-so-low-that-world-war-ii-ships",
        "published": "2026-08-06T10:00:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}