Wildfires across Europe detonate forgotten World War bombs


Scorched landscapes across Europe have exposed a potentially lethal threat lurking underground.

Rusted bombs and mines from the First and Second World Wars are now endangering emergency crews responding to wildfires across the continent.

High heat has caused several weapons to explode in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In the Dutch province of Limburg, a bomb disposal team was called out to inspect woodland near the site of heavy 1944 combat threatened by flames.

Read more…
Source: Independent


Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Wildfires across Europe detonate forgotten World War bombs

    August 22, 2026

    Scorched landscapes across Europe have exposed a potentially lethal threat lurking underground. Rusted bombs and mines from the First and Second World Wars are now endangering emergency crews responding to wildfires across the continent. High heat has caused several weapons to explode in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In the Dutch province of Limburg, a bomb disposal team was called out to inspect woodland ...

  • UK: Explosive disposal team remove’ unexploded ordnance’ in Dorset

    August 22, 2026

    An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called after an item of suspected unexploded ordnance was discovered. Dorset Police confirmed it received a report at 12.58pm on Friday, August 21, that the item had been found  at a site off Lifeboat Quay in Poole. The force informed the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, who assessed and removed the item. Read more… Source: Dorset ...

  • Ireland: Gardaí confirm ‘viable devices’ removed from house in Dundalk

    August 21, 2026

    A number of viable devices were removed from a house in a Dundalk housing estate on Friday afternoon. Gardaí evacuated houses in the immediate vicinity, closed the road to the passage of traffic, and created a safe cordon. The Defence Forces’ Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended the scene and confirmed a number of devices as viable. The ...

  • Russia develops first combat robot that disarms mines with laser

    August 21, 2026

    Russian specialists have developed a laser device for remote mine clearance based on a robotic platform that renders munitions harmless at a distance of up to 500 meters by burning away the explosive material without detonation. The laser is mounted on a ground robotic system. The system offers several advantages: it is completely safe for bomb ...

  • Ukraine: A shadow market for demining has emerged

    August 18, 2026

    In Ukraine, which is currently one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, most land is cleared of shells, mines, and other ordnance through illegal means. According to unofficial estimates from those surveyed LIGA.net according to farmers, between 50% and 70% of the demining work carried out for farmers in 2023–2024 was done informally. The Ministry ...

  • Netherlands: Police arrest suspect in series of Assen home explosions

    August 15, 2026

    Dutch police arrested a suspect Wednesday on suspicion of involvement in one or more explosions in Assen. The blasts targeted homes on Kalverstraat and Entingestraat beginning July 25. Authorities had previously confirmed a link between the incidents. Police have released no information about the suspect’s identity or place of residence. The individual is being held under ...

  • Italy: Large explosion rips through munitions factory southeast of Rome

    August 13, 2026

    A powerful explosion ripped through a munitions factory near ​the town of Colleferro, southeast of Rome, on ‌Thursday, with the blast heard for kilometres around. The explosion occurred when firefighters and police were already at the ​site responding to a fire, local media ​reports said. No injuries were reported, said the Franco-German ⁠defence group KNDS. The ...

  • Crimea: Five killed while defusing explosive device in Russian-controlled Sevastopol

    August 13, 2026

    Five people were killed while trying to defuse ​an explosive device in ‌Sevastopol, the largest city in Russian-controlled Crimea, regional governor Mikhail ​Razvozhayev said on Thursday. He ​said four emergency service bomb ⁠disposal specialists and a security ​guard were carrying out ​clearance work following a Ukrainian drone attack on the city when the ​explosion occurred. Read more… Source: ...

  • Romania: Drone fragments removed from Costinesti beach

    August 13, 2026

    Drone remains were discovered in the sea, close to Romania’s Costinești beach, on the Black Sea shore, on Thursday, August 13. The device was first noticed by employees in the area earlier in the morning. Initially, whether or not the device was a drone was not clear. Lifeguards then notified the authorities at around 8:15 AM ...

  • Ukraine seeks NATO help as demining challenge mounts after Russian invasion

    August 12, 2026

    Ukraine’s State Emergency Service has asked NATO’s disaster-response co-ordination centre to help supply equipment for humanitarian demining and the transport and disposal of explosive ordnance. The request was submitted via NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), which circulates appeals for assistance to contacts in NATO member states and partner countries, the organisation informed on Wednesday. Read ...

  • Cyprus: Car damaged in suspected bomb attack in Paphos

    August 12, 2026

    A parked car was extensively damaged in an explosion in Paphos in the early hours of Wednesday, with police investigating the incident as a suspected bomb attack. The explosion occurred at around 3.15am on Santorinis Street. Police said the vehicle belongs to a 56-year-old man. Initial examinations at the scene found that the blast was caused by a ...

  • Norway strengthens efforts against landmines and explosives globally

    August 6, 2026

    Norway commits NOK 580 million to humanitarian efforts aimed at protecting civilians from landmines and explosive remnants of war. The funding will also cover victim assistance and advocacy to strengthen international norms and legal instruments, including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. “All weapons kill and maim, but in most cases, this happens while a war is ...

  • Russia: Head of drone manufacturer critically injured in car bomb

    August 5, 2026

    The head of a leading Russian drone manufacturer has been critically injured in a car bomb near Ekaterinburg, in what appears to be the latest in a series of assassination attempts targeting figures linked to the country’s war in Ukraine. Vladimir Tkachuk, the founder of the private drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, was rushed to intensive care on Wednesday after ...

  • UK: EOD experts put through their paces in urban operations training

    August 5, 2026

    Soldiers from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment Royal Logistic Corps have been sharpening their warfighting skills during an intense urban operations exercise in Catterick Garrison. 521 EOD Squadron conducted a demanding series of training serials, including blank firing and building clearance drills, designed to prepare troops for real-world urban conflict scenarios. The activity formed part of a Squadron-level ...

  • Germany: Flying object hits plane at Leipzig airport as drone discovered carrying explosive device

    August 5, 2026

    An unidentified flying object hit a a cargo plane at a German airport on Wednesday, as the discovery of a drone carrying an explosive device caused disruption and the suspension of flights. An airport staff member discovered the drone in a secure area of the cargo flight operations near the airport’s south runway, according to a ...