Vladimir Putin has faced yet another humiliation after a missile fired at Ukraine disintegrated soon after launch.
The Russian strike is claimed to have gone dramatically wrong when the Iskander missile disintegrated and exploded as it was shot, according to sources in Kyiv.
A video shows an extraordinary firework display as the rocket “flashes” with its engine apparently misfiring.
The rocket disintegrated with the detonation of its solid propellant, without the warhead exploding, said one account.
The missile was fired towards Ukraine from Belgorod region, it was claimed.
A Ukrainian channel mocked “the real level of technological backwardness of the Russian military-industrial complex” in the missile failure.
It warned that residents of Russian frontline cities should be afraid of their own ‘defenders’.
The video highlighted by Inform Napalm Telegram channel was evidently filmed from inside Russia.
Another report said: “Russia continues to fire missiles at Ukraine from its territory, but not everything is going smoothly.
“One of the Iskander missiles simply fell apart in the sky over Belgorod.
“The Russian Federation is actively launching Iskanders in Ukraine from the Belgorod region at night.
“The other day, civilians recorded on video how the rocket fell apart with the detonation of fuel and without the explosion of the warhead.
“It is possible that the emergency self-destruct system was activated due to engine failure.
“In any event, this demonstrates that the Russian army is not doing as well with Iskanders as Russian propaganda says.”
The Iskander is a mobile short range ballistic missile.
Worryingly, for the west the missile is said to be nuclear capable.
It also has conventional cluster munitions warheads, gull-air explosive enhanced-blast warheads, and high explosive fragmentation warheads.
It can be deployed for bunker busting and on anti-radar missions.
The Mirror told yesterday how neighbouring Finland has prepared for decades for a Russian attack and would put up stiff resistance should one occur, its armed forces chief said.
The Nordic country has built up a substantial arsenal. But aside from the military hardware, General Timo Kivinen said, a crucial factor is that Finns would be motivated to fight.
"The most important line of defence is between one's ears, as the war in Ukraine proves at the moment," Kivinen said in an interview.
Finland fought two wars in the 1940s against its eastern neighbour, with which it shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border.
Once a non-aligned country, it is now applying to join the NATO military alliance over concerns that Russia could invade like it did Ukraine on February 24.
Kivnen added; "We have systematically developed our military defence precisely for this type of warfare that is being waged there (in Ukraine), with a massive use of firepower, armoured forces and also airforces.
"Ukraine has been a tough bite to chew (for Russia) and so would be Finland."
