Seven wartime rocket projectiles found along Rail Baltica route

Seven large-calibre wartime rocket projectiles were found together this autumn in the Rail Baltica mainline construction area in Bauska County, LSM reports. A total of 49 explosive objects have been identified along a 19-kilometre stretch from the Iecava River to the Memele River.

Search and scanning work has been completed across more than 186 hectares of land accessible to mainline builder ERB Rail. Some areas have not yet been surveyed because forestry work is ongoing and access is restricted.

The seven projectiles were found near the Memele River, in the seventh construction section. Their appearance resembles 280 mm shells from the Nebelwerfer system, a rocket artillery system used by German armed forces during the Second World War.

Other objects found along the route include 150 mm artillery shells and other wartime ammunition. In several cases, shells were found grouped together.

Specialised technology, including drones, is used to identify potentially dangerous areas before detailed inspections. Scanning has identified more than 7,300 anomaly points along the route. Of the points inspected so far, 5,206 contained metal fragments or other metal objects.

The finds underline the need to check construction areas carefully before earthworks begin, to identify and address risks from historical ammunition.