THW conducts large-scale civil protection exercise in Hammelburg

The German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) conducted a large-scale civil protection exercise titled ‘MINERVA26’ from September 18 to 20, 2026, at the Hammelburg military training area. Approximately 170 emergency responders from eight local associations within the Karlstadt regional division participated in the drill.

The exercise focused on protecting the population from war-related hazards through a fictional crisis scenario involving air raids and sabotage against critical infrastructure. Participants simulated responding to drone attacks that caused severe structural damage to buildings.

Responders worked across six stations to manage realistic damage situations, including searching for and rescuing missing or injured persons from collapsed or unstable buildings. The training involved the use of rescue dogs, technical equipment, and scaffolding systems. The exercise also included cooperation with the Bundeswehr and the Bavarian Red Cross.