Customers in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg have just received packages posted in 1998. Apparently, a five tonne container was lost in Finland in 1998, on its way from the United States to Russia. 

It was a complete surprise for Vera Shelepova, a Yekaterinburg citizen, to receive 5 boxes of hot cocoa mix from her friend in the United States 8 years later. They were intended as a nice surprise in 1998, but now it's a New Year miracle.

“The correct postage was on the package, and a note from the Russian Postal service disclaiming responsibility for the delay. It was so heavily wrapped we could barely open it. And on the front of it there was a letter saying the Russian post office held no responsibility for the safety of its contents,” Ms Shelepova said.

It took hours to unravel the mystery of the prolonged package. Most likely it was stuck halfway between Russia and the U.S. in Santa's homeland – Finland. In 1998 a 5-tonne mail container was lost there. Part of it has recently been discovered and parcels are finally reaching their destinations.

The packages have been well preserved and are accompanied by an apology from the Russian mail service, although it has nothing to do with the incident.

The cocoa mix is not the only surprise. The Urals mail service has begun delivering other lost mail.

Meanwhile, Vera is waiting for another package – a box of medicines sent a year and a half ago – she hopes it won't take quite so long as the cocoa.