WWII remains returned to Russia

  • 2008-10-13
  • TBT Staff in cooperation with BNS
TALLINN - The remains of two airmen found amidst the wreckage of a Soviet aircraft shot down in World War II in Estonia are to be returned to Russia.

Members of the Estonian military history club Otsing found the remains in the northeasternIda-Virumaa district of the country.

The Soviet ground attack aircraft Ilyushin 2 was shot down in July or August 1944 near Sirgala, the daily Ohtulehtsays.

The remains of the pilot and the gunner, the pilot's journal, shoulder straps and food coupons were found nearthe wreck of the plane. Research in archives showed that thekilled pilot was Vladimir Lazarev from the Ivanovo district.The gunner, Dmitry Yermolenko, was a native of Novosibirsk,the paper says.

Igor Sedunov who headed the excavations said the Foreign Ministry recently informed the Russian embassy in Tallinn  of the Estonianside's consent to hand over theremains to Moscow.