Divers find £100bn gold ship

A salvage team has discovered the wreck of a Russian warship believed to have been carrying £100billion of gold.

The Dimitrii Donskoi was scuttled to stop it falling into Japanese hands following the Battle of Tsushima in 1905.

Divers from shinil, a south Korean firm, found the Donskoi on saturday, 75 miles off the east coast of the Korean peninsula.

It was lying at a depth of 1,400ft with its wooden deck, weaponry and armour intact. A large number of iron boxes were discovered in the hold though divers have not yet been able to open them.

Shinil officials believe there could be as much as 200 tons of gold on board the ship, valued at £100billion. It would have been used to pay for the salaries and supplies for Russia’s second Pacific squadron.

The salvage operation is reportedly scheduled to begin in October.

Tsushima was a disaster for Russia, losing 21 ships and 4,500 sailors. Just three Japanese vessels were sunk, with 117 dead.