New satellite images show a large crater at a Russian cosmodrome that experts say may be the result of a failed test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Four firetrucks are also visible in the September 21 images of the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, located in the Arkhangelsk region in Russia’s north, that RFE/RL obtained from Planet Labs.
An open source intelligence analyst who goes by @MeNMyRC1 and who studied the images said the hole may have been caused by the explosion of the intercontinental ballistic missile RS-28 Sarmat. Other analysts agreed with that assessment.
If true, it would be the fourth time a Sarmat launch has failed.
Russia claimed in April 2022 to have successfully launched the missile.
The Sarmat, which began development in the 2000s, is a liquid-fueled missile designed to travel up to 18,000 kilometers. At 35 meters in length, it can reportedly carry a 10-ton payload with a wide variety of warheads.
