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Russian Tochka-U missile accidentally self-destructs during exercises
By Bruce Jones
06 November 2009
The Russian Defence Ministry has revealed that an army OTR-21 Tochka-U (SS-21 'Scarab B') ballistic missile accidentally self-destructed during live-firing exercises on 28 October in the northwest of the country.
The incident took place at the Luga training area close to the Estonian and Latvian borders, just outside the missile's 120 km maximum effective range.
The exercise was carried out by the Russian Army's 26th Missile Brigade, based at the Luga Training Centre in the Leningrad Military District.
The firing follows the launch of another Tochka-U missile on 8 October from the Pavenkovo test site in the nearby Kaliningrad enclave during the final stages of Baltic Fleet coastal defence exercises.
Explaining that "the missile self-destructed at the height of 1000 m [3,000 ft]", spokesman Colonel Alexei Kuznetsov said that the weapon was already past the end of its service life and due for destruction. An accident investigation will take place.
Russia reportedly possesses 140 Tochka-U systems. Some 15 are said to have been deployed during the Georgian conflict with five attacks confirmed in addition to other missile attacks. The system's missiles can carry nuclear or conventional warheads.