In the Russian Federation, during tests, an RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, of which Russian propagandists are so proud, exploded.
OSINT researchers reported this based on satellite images from Planet Labs. According to them, the incident occurred during refueling of a rocket at a test range.
“The tests of the RS-28 Sarmat ended in a complete failure. The rocket exploded right in the silo, leaving a huge crater and completely destroying the test site. Since the Sarmat uses liquid fuel, the explosion could have occurred before launch,” the analysts explained.
Researchers also noted that four fire trucks were sent to the scene, officially responding to the alleged forest fire. However, OSINT analyst MT_Anderson published a satellite image of the Russian Plesetsk Cosmodrome, showing the aftermath of the failed tests.
My thanks to @MT_Anderson for providing these images from Planet Labs and allowing me to post them with comments.
As is evident, the RS-28 Sarmat test was a complete failure. The missile detonated in the silo leaving a huge crater and destroying the test site. The… pic.twitter.com/AuIpQRrDLa
-MeNMyRC (@MeNMyRC1) September 21, 2024
Experts say that the explosion of such a rocket during testing is an extraordinary event that occurs very rarely. A similar incident was recorded earlier in October 1960 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, when an R-16 rocket exploded.
Analysts believe that the Kremlin is unlikely to officially acknowledge the fact of the Sarmatian disaster.
The RS-28 Sarmat is a fifth-generation Russian strategic missile system designed for deployment in silos. It is a multi-stage liquid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile with a length of 35 meters and a launch weight of 208 tons. The rocket is capable of carrying up to 10 tons of payload over a distance of up to 16 thousand kilometers.
