On 3 August 2026 Romanian naval forces blasted the Pârjoaia rock formation with controlled charges, at the point where the Danube splits between the Bala arm and the Dunărea Veche. The idea was simple and fairly drastic: increase the flow toward the canal that feeds the Cernavodă power plant, where at that moment only a single reactor remained operational. According to Adevărul, cited by the Guardian, 180 kilograms of explosive were used in the operation.
The detonation came after the controlled shutdown of Unit 1, announced by Nuclearelectrica on 27 July and scheduled for 28 July as a preventive measure linked to the exceptionally low level of the Danube. The river water serves the plant's cooling system, but does not enter the primary nuclear circuit.
On 4 August, Defence Minister Radu Miruță stated that the water level at Cernavodă had risen by 2 centimetres compared to the previous day. The figure does not establish how much of that rise is attributable to the explosions: the plan also included four barges loaded with rubble to further alter the distribution of flow between the two arms.
