This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
A World War II-era bomb was discovered intact beneath the surface of the Kremlin in Moscow during construction works on August 15, Russian media reported.
Work was being done to strengthen the ground soil in the Tainitsky Garden of the Kremlin close to the Moscow River, media reports said. A cellar for storing provisions was located there previously.
The bomb was taken out of the Kremlin complex to be destroyed.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman assured the media that the bomb didn’t disrupt the Russian leader’s schedule.
The Kremlin is one of Europe’s oldest medieval fortresses and was built between the 14th and 17th centuries.
It was the official residence for tsars, Soviet leaders, and now Russian presidents, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, its reconnaissance units reached within 20 kilometers of Moscow in November of that year before a brutal winter set in and the Red Army marshaled a counterattack the following year.
Nazi bombers made the Kremlin a primary target during the Battle for Moscow, damaging the roof of one of its palaces.
