MOSCOW, January 24 - RAPSI. The police have exposed the embezzlement of millions of rubles allocated to the Strategic Missile Force for the reclamation of the areas where missile silos were located, the Interior Ministry announced on Thursday.

The Interior Ministry said the Defense Ministry allocated RUB 500 million (over $16 million) for the purpose in 2008.

According to the Interior Ministry's press release, the commander of a directorate in the Strategic Missile Force signed a contract with PromSpetsStroy, a company which was owned by his former subordinate, to reclaim the area in the Orenburg Region where 11 missile silos were located. The sum of the contract exceeded RUB 10 million.

"The contractor subcontracted an Orenburg company to implement the contract. The head of PromSpetsStroy demanded RUB 1.5 million from the head of the Orenburg subcontractor for the contract," the ministry said in the press release.

The transfer of the money through an intermediary was recorded.

The work to reclaim the area was carried out only in part and to a poor standard, but the officials of the aforementioned Strategic Missile Force directorate signed the acceptance certificate and the Defense Ministry paid the required amount of money.

The police have opened a case under the articles on commercial bribery, fraud and abuse of power.