Police in the Urals have brought criminal charges over the dumping of 248 human fetuses in the region in July.

The remains, preserved with formaldehyde in four plastic barrels, were discovered in a forest some 70 kilometers north of the city of Yekaterinburg. The barrels had tags listing surnames and numbers.

The charges were brought after investigators established that formaldehyde leaking from the containers had damaged the ground in the woodland, police told RIA Novosti.

The unborn babies' bodies were "medical waste" from the Urals State Medical Academy that were due to be destoyed by an unspecified firm, authorities said.