A fire broke out today in one of Russia's S-300 missile systems outside Moscow, damaging the system but causing no injuries, Russian news reports quoted military officials as saying.
Interfax news agency, quoting the Russian Air Force, said the fire, which was later extinguished, occurred in the morning in the district of Zakharovo Yegorovsky while the missiles were in a horizontal position and in a protective covering.
Interfax said three missile launchers were damaged."There was no accidental launch. There are no injuries ... There was no damage in the village. Neither residents nor servicemen were evacuated," it said.
Two women residents of the village told NTV television that they heard a series of explosions and saw a huge cloud rise over the area.
The S-300 system is a key part of Russian air defences and has been sold to a number of other countries. US officials have suggested they might purchase the system as part of efforts to persuade Russia to join it in efforts to build an anti-missile defence system.