Russian warship carrying 200 tons of gold sunk more than a century ago found
A South Korean search team has discovered a Russian warship that sank more than a century ago - a ship believed to be carrying 200 tons of gold bars and coins, worth about $130 billion today.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Russian Imperial Navy cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi was found at a depth of nearly 430 meters off the coast of Ulleungdo Island in South Korea. This is a ship that sank in a sea battle 113 years ago.
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| A piece of the Dmitrii Donskoi ship was discovered by searchers off the coast of South Korea - Photo: CNBC. |
The search team, which included experts from South Korea, Britain and Canada, discovered the ship on Sunday. The experts used two manned submersibles to capture images of the shipwreck.
Images show the shipwreck was badly damaged in a clash with Japanese warships in a battle in May 1905. The ship's guns and cannons were covered with a thick layer of moss.
There are reports that the Dmitrii Donskoi, a warship used in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, sank with 5,500 chests of gold. The gold was kept on board to prevent the Japanese from seizing it.
Seoul-based Shinil Group is leading the search for the shipwreck. It hopes to raise the ship in October or November, and estimates the gold on board to be worth about $130 billion today.
Shinil said that half of the treasure found on the shipwreck will be transferred to the Russian government, while the remaining 10% will be used to invest in tourism projects on Ulleungdo Island, including a museum about the ship.
