Molniya (explosive trap)

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Certain buried or otherwise concealed containers used by the KGB to cache items such as shortwave radio receivers and cryptographic materials were booby-trapped with an explosive device known as Molniya ("lightning"). A sequence of specific actions had to be taken in the correct order to render the device safe prior to moving or opening the container, or the device would detonate. This detonation was designed to be highly lethal to anyone in the immediate proximity, as well as being sufficient to destroy all materials in the cache.

Most remaining Soviet Molniya devices are old enough to have degraded to a dangerous, shock-sensitive condition, and can be considered unexploded ordnance. Devices which have been recovered by police forces have been found to be unstable and potentially deadly. The intended procedure for disabling these devices is no longer likely to be effective or safe; therefore, attempts to uncover a suspected cache site or open a Molniya-protected container are highly dangerous for anyone but a bomb disposal expert.^{[citation needed]}