World War II bomb discoveries in Germany

World War II-era unexploded ordnance has been discovered in different parts of Germany, necessitating large-scale evacuations.

In the Saxony region, low water levels in the Elbe river exposed a 250-kilogram Soviet-design bomb near Heidenau and Pratzschwitz. This discovery led to the evacuation of approximately 3,800 residents within a 1,000-meter radius. Bomb disposal experts successfully defused the device by manually removing two deformed fuses and detonating them on-site, allowing residents to return home.

In Berlin, authorities conducted a major security operation in the Neukölln district after a 100-kilogram aerial bomb was found in a canal bed near Sonnenallee. The discovery required the evacuation of approximately 5,600 households within a 500-meter safety radius, affecting sensitive locations including a daycare center, a nursing home, and a homeless shelter.

Emergency services—comprising roughly 200 police officers, firefighters, the German Red Cross, and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW)—coordinated the response. Specialists recovered the device from the canal bed using a crane and a floating platform. After the bomb was moved to the shore and successfully neutralized by experts, residents were permitted to return to their homes late Wednesday night. The operation caused temporary disruptions to local traffic and public transportation.