(CNN) — Beached on the western shores of the Caspian Sea, it looks like a colossal aquatic beast -- a bizarre creation more at home in the deep than above the waves. After lying dormant for more than three decades, the Caspian Sea Monster has been on the move again. In July of this year after 14 hours at sea, a flotilla of three tugs and two escort vessels maneuvered slowly along the shores of the Caspian Sea to deliver their bulky special cargo to its destination , a stretch of coast near Russia's southernmost point. Their deployment on the vast inland body of water between the Soviet Union and Iran led to them acquiring the nickname "Caspian Sea Monster." The "Lun" ekranoplan was one of the last designs to come out of the Soviet ground effect vehicle program.

Source: CNN October 22, 2020 09:56 UTC