Russian Thieves Break Into Soviet-Era Missile Silo to Find it Filled With Money Bills

Russian Thieves Break Into Soviet-Era Missile Silo to Find it Filled With Money Bills

Created: 07.03.2006 13:16 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 13:17 MSK

MosNews

A team of thieves that broke into an abandoned missile silo not far from the Russian city of Kostroma in search of nonferrous metals was shocked to find the shaft packed with Soviet money bills, Regnum news agency reported on Tuesday.

The incident would have remained secret, had the wind not blown hundreds of banknotes all over the countryside.

Four men from Nizhny Novgorod found the silo that had had missiles dismantled and put on maintenance decades ago in accordance with the Soviet disarmament program. They targeted the metals inside and said they had had no idea about the money hidden in the shaft.

The men opened up the silo, neglecting the possible danger of ripping open a high radiation and toxins level enclosure.

The site has been inspected by the police and environmental services, and proved to have normal radiation level.

At the moment excavation works at the silo have been frozen. Local authorities are considering measures to bring the four men to responsibility.

[link to www.mosnews.com]