A casual stroll resulted in two women getting the shock of their lives in northern Russia after they stumbled upon five jars containing human embryos in the city of Solikamsk.
"We looked, and there's a baby's head with its eyes open," one of the women was cited Wednesday as saying by regional news site Newsperm.ru.
"I have two kids and am against abortion — I won't be able to sleep for days," the unnamed woman said. "And imagine how my companion feels, with her raising a disabled child and all."
Local police said the embryos were presumably used to train medics and were then recklessly discarded at a local dump, Interfax news agency reported Thursday.
"None of the babies were killed," a police spokesman was cited as saying.
In a gruesome follow-up to the incident, some of the jars reportedly went missing while the women were waiting for police to arrive, Newsperm.ru said.
No potential culprits were identified. The report said the dump is located close to a children's playground, though it was not clear what link there could be between that fact and the mystery disappearance.
Police said they were looking into the incident.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.