Romania detonated 180 kilograms of explosives on Monday to destroy a rock outcrop in the drought-stricken Danube, aiming to redirect water toward the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. With the river flowing at roughly one-third of its normal volume, one of Cernavoda's two reactors was already shut down last week. The military plans to sink four stone-laden boats by Wednesday to form an underwater barrier. If the effort fails, the plant must close entirely by Thursday.
Romania declared a nationwide state of emergency for August due to falling power generation. Dacia and Ford factories suspended production until 19 August.
Across the region, Hungary's Paks plant is running at just 10 percent capacity, with Prime Minister Peter Magyar warning it may shut down imminently. Pharmaceutical firm Richter Gedeon will cut power use by more than half. In Serbia, a major hydropower plant operates at only 20 percent.