Photos: Couple who went missing 12 years ago are found dead in their car at the bottom of a river in Russia

A young Russian couple who went missing
nearly 12 years ago have been found dead
today.

25-year-old Ilya Zhirnov and his girlfriend Kira
Cherkasova, 22, who went missing in December
2005 without a trace were found dead in the
river Volga in central Russia.

According to a Police report, their remains were
found inside a car at the bottom of Volga in the
city of Cheboksary in central Russia's Chuvash
Republic today.

The couple's car was reportedly found in the
river by a local diving enthusiast when he was
exploring the waters near a local beach. He
reported his discovery to police who then
winched the car out of the river.

Police were able to identify the couple through
the car document which was retrieved from the
vehicle after it survived for more than a decade
underwater.

The police report says they were last seen in
December 2005 when Mr. Zhirnov borrowed a
car from his father to pick up Miss Cherkasova
from work.

They said after years of frustrated investigations
on the missing couple, they were eventually
forced to close the case as a result of lack of
evidence, and the families have been left in the
dark as to the young lovers' fate until today.

Police believe the lovers' death was an accident
and that icy roads near the river may have been
to blame for their tragic end.
Investigations are now expected to continue
which after, Police findings will be made public.