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Missile fails, falls down in village

The missile, probably of the type Antey-2500, landed near the village of Zabolotye.

UPDATE: The launch of a missile from the Plesetsk Space Center flops. The weapon landed near a local village.

Location

Update: The rocket was not an Angara A5, as previously reported, but an Antey-2500.

The wellbeing of local villagers is uncertain as news agencies confirm that the rocket lands near the village of Zabolotye in Arkhangelsk Oblast.

The regional Ministry of Emergency Situations however argues that the failed launch and crash of the object “does not pose any threat to the local population”. According to ministry representatives, neither the rocket fuel, nor other rocket components, include any substances dangerous for humans, Interfax reports.

The village is located about ten kilometers from the launch site.

The rocket was launched from Plesetsk in connection with an experimental testing by missile manufacturer Almaz-Antey, Tass.ru reports.

The type of the weapon is an Antey-2500, a S-300VM anti-ballistic missile, and not an Angara A5 as previously reported. The Antey-2500 is built to defeat tactical, theater and medium range ballistic missiles, as well as aerodynamic targets at a range of up to 200 km. It is mounted on a tracked cross-country vehicle. 

It is not the first time that a rocket or missile lands near the Zabolotye. Over the years, a number of rocket components have landed in the area. Several of them contain poisonous and contaminating substances dangerous to the local environment and the local population.