Russian missile crashed in failed test

Authorities in Russia's northern Arkhangelsk Oblast have confirmed that a missile launched during testing at the Plesetsk Cosmodromem, a Russian spaceport located in Mirny, about 800 km north of Moscow, fell back to the ground seconds after its test launch on Wednesday in what described as an operational accident.

The Arkhangelsk branch of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry reported that the missile landed around 7 km from the cosmodrome in an unpopulated area at around 11 a.m. Moscow time ( around 14200 GMT).

"This accident poses no threat to residents or environmental safety," the report said, adding "The missile was not carrying any hazardous components or substances."

An investigation into the causes of the accident has been launched by local specialists.

The Plesetsk Cosmodrome, a secondary launch site for satellites and missile tests during the former Soviet era, has seen an increase in activity in recent years with the return of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the world's first and largest operational space launch facility, to Kazakhstan. Endite