Dramatic video shows a Russian surface-to-air missile system malfunctioning and firing on itself.
The rocket can be seen shooting into the sky in the video before spinning in mid-air and slamming back into the ground, creating a huge explosion.
The brief video purportedly took place in the pro-Russian separatist-occupied city of Alchevsk in the Luhansk region of Ukraine, which is at the centre of the country’s conflict.
It was seen on camera early on Friday morning, when it is said that Russian forces fired a missile at an approaching Ukrainian plane.
However, once the tracking system went haywire a few seconds later, the missile was sent back to its origin.
Both a massive explosion and dazzling flashes flying down from the crash location can be seen on the footage.
According to local accounts, a fire started at the location, which is close to homes.
Russian anti-air defence systems may have interfered, according to some.
The video was first posted on the messaging service Telegram by the channel Face of War, which has been posting footage of the fighting since it began.
The Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Rob Lee, a senior fellow, also tweeted about it, saying: “This is purportedly film of a botched Russian air defence system missile launch from Alchevsk, Luhansk Oblast.”
Although the precise SAM system seen in the video is unknown, each Russian S-400 missile system costs over $300 million (£245 million).
There has been no word yet on any explosion-related deaths.
It is the most recent instance of horrifying equipment failure in Vlad’s army.
A Russian military aircraft that was headed to the conflict in Ukraine crashed earlier today, killing four people.
After refuelling, the Ilyushin-76 military cargo transporter caught fire before crashing to the ground in Ryazan, 125 miles southeast of Moscow.
Three people perished in the collision, and one more passenger passed away in the hospital.
The four remaining passengers are receiving medical attention at a hospital, where it is stated that their circumstances are “grave.”
READ MORE: 2 dead, 6 wounded in Il-76 plane crash in Russia
