Century-Old Tugboat Emerges From Serbia's Shrinking Sava River

A severe European drought has revealed a piece of early 20th-century maritime history in Serbia. The rusting hull of a steam tugboat, built in 1913 and once known as the Slovenian, has resurfaced from the Sava River near the town of Sremska Mitrovica, about 70 kilometers northwest of Belgrade.

While parts of the wreck have occasionally been visible in past years, locals say it has never been this exposed. Historian Andrija Popovic, head of the town museum, noted the significant public interest, calling the sight something one doesn't see every day. Serbian media have nicknamed the vessel the "Sava's Titanic."

The boat, measuring roughly 54 meters, was originally built in a Budapest shipyard and named Vag. It operated as a steam-powered cargo hauler between Budapest and other Danube towns. Its history is marked by conflict: it was transferred to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians after World War I as war reparations, during which it was renamed. In World War II, it served Yugoslav forces, carrying wounded soldiers and equipment. It sank in late April 1945 after hitting a German mine.

The Slovenian is not alone. Across Europe, receding waters have exposed German warships in the Danube, an ancient Roman bridge in Italy's Tiber River, and woolly mammoth bones in Bulgaria. The drought has also disrupted river traffic and impacted power plants.

Experts attribute the situation to a lack of winter snow and a dry spring. Hydrologist Dejan Vladikovic warns that such events may become more frequent, calling it a potential "new normalcy." The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service notes Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, with much of the continent currently experiencing drought conditions.