Residents of the village of Rozhdestvenskoye in the Voronezh Region discovered 200 metric tons of prohibited pesticides containing mercury close to their houses, the local branch of Russia's agricultural watchdog said on Tuesday.

Village residents complained of sickness caused by a strong chemical smell coming from an abandoned silo pit, which was located only 1.5 kilometers away from the village and contained hazardous pesticides.

"These substances can inflict serious damage both on people's health and the environment," the watchdog said.

The pesticides were brought to the pit from a local chemical company's warehouse.

The watchdog said an investigation is underway and sanctions will follow.