'Booze cruise' tank clips village house

7 Mar, 2008 14:43 / Updated 16 years ago

A 34-tonne anti-aircraft weapon carrier has crashed into a village house in Russia's Sverdlovsk region.

The military says the vehicle had earlier broken down and was taking a short cut to catch up with the rest of the regiment. But locals claim the carrier was being used to collect alcohol from a local shop. They say the soldiers stationed at a nearby base often shop in the village, but this was the first time they'd used heavy machinery as their transport. The military say it will pay for any damage caused.