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SKRUNDA, Latvia () -- Latvia on Thursday blew up a 19-story disused Soviet military listening post left behind after the withdrawal of Russian troops last year.
A brief ceremony led by President Guntis Ulmanis and Prime Minister Maris Gailis, broadcast live on national television, culminated in the controlled destruction of the concrete tower, dubbed "the monster," by a team of U.S. experts.
In their speeches, both leaders emphasized the symbolic importance of destroying an unwanted installation that had served as a reminder of Latvia's 50-year occupation by the Soviet Union and of the Cold War period.
The Skrunda base is 150 kilometers west of Riga, the Latvian capital.
Latvia Blows Up Post
05 May 1995
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