
Austria’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (EMD) neutralised over 34 tonnes of wartime explosives and munitions in 2024, the Ministry of Defence has reported.
Responding to more than 1,000 call-outs, EMD specialists dealt with a range of hazardous materials, including 65 cluster bombs, 31 anti-personnel mines and 44 unexploded bombs weighing over 50 kilograms.
In 47 instances, unstable munitions were deemed too risky to move. These were destroyed on-site using controlled explosions, neutralising a total of 422.9 kilograms of dangerous material.
Wide-Ranging Operations
The EMD’s work spanned a variety of challenging environments. The diving team recovered 571.5 kilograms of munitions from lakes and rivers, while 146 kilograms of wartime relics were retrieved from high-altitude locations.
“These figures show that the discovery of wartime relics is far from over,” said Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner.
The ministry said that the materials recovered last year could, in theory, demolish up to 100 20-storey buildings in controlled explosions.
Disposal and Recycling
The team destroyed 14.91 tonnes of munitions at Austrian Armed Forces demolition ranges. A further 4.8 tonnes of infantry ammunition were incinerated in specialised furnaces, with the scrap metal subsequently recycled.
Around 6.57 tonnes of war debris were sent directly for disposal. Despite the inherent risks, all operations in 2024 were conducted without injuries or property damage.