Europe’s summer heatwave reveals Ice Age mammoth bones, sunken Nazi relics in receding Danube River

A summer heatwave and drought have caused the Danube River's water levels to drop, revealing dozens of sunken Nazi German warships from World War II near Prahovo, Serbia, as well as the wreck of a Hungarian cargo ship from 1937 near Opatovac, Croatia. In Budapest, the remains of two Nazi soldiers and a motorcycle were found. In Bulgaria, the remains of an ancient mammoth were discovered near Ryahovo village.

A prolonged summer heatwave and drought have caused the Danube River's water levels to fall dramatically, exposing historical artifacts and relics along its course. Near the Serbian port of Prahovo, at least 20 German warships from World War II have emerged, believed to belong to Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet, sunk during their retreat from Romania. Some of these ships still contain mines and unexploded ordnance. Similar ships emerged in 2022 and 2024 during previous droughts. In Croatia, the wreck of the Hungarian cargo ship Fulton, which sank in 1937 while transporting coal, has been revealed near Opatovac. In Budapest, the German War Graves Commission announced the discovery of the remains of two Nazi soldiers, along with a World War II motorcycle and several anti-tank mines. The soldiers' dog tags were complete, suggesting they were declared missing. In Bulgaria, the remains of an ancient mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) were found near the village of Ryahovo after water levels reached a record low. The find includes a lower jaw, two tusks, and possibly a rib. Experts estimate the mammoth stood nearly five meters tall and weighed over seven tonnes. The bones will be examined to determine their origin and age.