Foto REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic
The ships were scuttled in the fall of 1944 during the German retreat in the face of the Red Army’s advance. After Romania withdrew from its alliance with Nazi Germany, German military ships operating in the Black Sea basin began retreating up the Danube. On orders from the command, some of them were scuttled to prevent their capture and to hinder the advancing Soviet forces’ use of the river.
Today, this legacy of the war directly affects the operation of the transport corridor. According to estimates by the European Investment Bank (EIB), restrictions on navigation in the Prahovo area cost the Serbian economy approximately 5 million euros annually, as during periods of low water, cargo ships must reduce their loads or wait for water levels to rise.
To address the problem, Serbia is implementing a project to remove 21 sunken vessels. The work is considered technically challenging due to the possible presence of unexploded ordnance on board. Some of the largest hulls, which have been deemed technically or economically unfeasible to recover, are planned to be further buried so that they no longer obstruct navigation.
In July 2024, the European Investment Bank awarded Serbia a grant of 16 million euros to clear this section of the Danube. Once the project is completed, authorities expect to increase the capacity of the international waterway, reduce logistics costs, and improve conditions for river freight transport in Serbia and the region.
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