Hungary hosts international training for military divers who salvage unexploded munitions

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Military divers from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Lithuania have participated in an international training exercise in Budapest, Hungary, working in flooded underground mines, lakes and caves and in the rushing Danube River. The training is to prepare them for a variety of scenarios, including recovery operations after a boat accident, rescues during a catastrophic flood, or finding and removing unexploded underwater ordnance following an armed conflict. Learning to operate under such challenging conditions is especially important for when divers must deal with unexploded munitions in underwater environments. Many munitions remain lodged in the Danube nearly 80 years after World War II. But it’s also a problem in current conflict areas, like Ukraine.