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Putin informed of Wednesday’s abortive launch of space rocket — Kremlin

An experimental launch vehicle collapsed at the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia

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MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin was informed of Wednesday’s collapse of a space rocket at the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Quite naturally, the president received information on the accident," he said.

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Peskov said, however, he did not have a detailed report on what exactly happened.

A source at Plesetsk told TASS the launch vehicle collapsed after a scheduled test liftoff.

"A scheduled test launch of an experimental launch vehicle designed by an aerospace defense company was held at Plesetsk," he said. "The launch vehicle lifted off from the pad as required but it veered off from the designated trajectory several minutes later and collapsed in an unpopulated area of the Arkhangelsk region."

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