Estonian military finds over a thousand unexploded WWII shells in Nursipalu
An explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team in Southeastern Estonia has discovered more than 1,000 unexploded shells from World War II in the expanded Nursipalu Training Area.
Most of the shells were found in the Kohandupalu area, either buried a few meters deep in the soil or hidden under moss in the forest.
"We've found mostly German shells from WWII," said Warrant Officer Mario Maripuu, an EOD team member with the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), noting that as of Thursday morning, they had already uncovered a little over a thousand shells.
Transportable explosives are sent to the Central Training Area or Sirgala Training Area for disposal. "The remaining 10 percent cannot be moved and are safely neutralized on site," he added.
Maripuu explained that the shells ended up where they did because the Nursipalu area once housed storage facilities.
"Munitions were also destroyed here in 1944," he said. "The Germans blew up their warehouses, and the munitions were left behind."
Located in Southeastern Estonia, the EDF's Nursipalu Training Area has been significantly expanded in recent years, bringing its total size to just over 9,900 hectares, or nearly 100 square kilometers.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Aili Vahtla
