MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. Unknown individuals have removed a Soviet-made T-70 tank from a cemetery in the Kharkov Region; the vehicle had been mounted on a mass grave honoring its crew, who were killed while liberating the village of Oskol during World War II, local administration head Gennady Zagoruyko said.

"This is a burial site where the tank's crew, who died while liberating Oskol during World War II, were laid to rest. It was the very tank that was knocked out during the battle for Oskol. It has now disappeared," the Obschestvennoye. Novosti news outlet quoted Zagoruyko as saying.

According to the report, at least 12 gravestones were damaged in the incident. Law enforcement authorities have opened a criminal case, which carries a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison. Preliminary information suggests the theft may have taken place during the curfew.