The bearer of state secrets returns after going missing for sixteen months

Sergei Podeinitsyn, head of a laboratory of the mining and chemical plant in the town Zheleznogorsk near Krasnoyarsk, has unexpectedly returned to town. The man was put on a federal list of missing persons in October 2003 following his disappearance.

Mr. Podeinitsyn left the town in an unknown vehicle in October 2003. He was carrying $9,000 on him at the time. He was reportedly going to spend the money on the purchase of a car. No information on him was available since his departure. According to the police, the man who arrived in town some time ago had no documents on him but his neighbors recognized the missing person and lead him to his apartment. It is not yet clear where the man came from. Perhaps he suffers from a partial loss of memory.

Regional department of the Russian Security Service and the prosecutor’s office of the Krasnoyarsk region are conducting investigation into the circumstances of disappearance of Mr. Podeinitsyn. The security service pays close attention to Mr. Podeinitsyn because the above was the head of laboratory of the mining and chemical plant and had access to classified information pertaining to the development of weapons-grade plutonium.

Mr. Podeinitsyn may have been kidnapped for reasons relating to his professional activities.

“Sergei Podeinitsyn may be reinstated at the Zheleznogorsk mining and chemical plant after taking medical examination,” said Pavel Morozov, chief of the PR bureau for the plant. Mr. Morozov also said that some reports indicated Mr. Podeinitsyn had suffered from encephalitis and the disease might have damaged his central nervous system.

According to Mr. Morozov, Sergei Podeinitsyn was involved in the development of technologies associated with nuclear weapons. The head of PR bureau pointed out that the technologies are not longer classified.