Putin Watches as Missile Launch Fails

[kskiska]

MOSCOW - A technical glitch thwarted the launch of Russian ballistic missiles in the Barents Sea on Tuesday during naval maneuvers overseen by President Vladimir Putin, who watched the massive exercise while decked out in naval officer's garb aboard a nuclear submarine.

The failed launch - part of an exercise described as the largest show of Russian military might in more than 20 years - marred an event apparently aimed at playing up Putin's image as a leader attempting to restore the country's military power and global clout.

Putin, who is expected to easily win the presidential election March 14, went to the Barents Sea on board the giant Arkhangelsk submarine to observe maneuvers set to involve numerous missile launches and flights of strategic bombers.

But the ambitious exercise hit a snag when a ballistic missile - a missile that is launched on a high-arch trajectory to hit a designated target - failed to blast off as scheduled from another submarine, the Novomoskovsk, a government official said on condition of anonymity. The official said the automatic safety system blocked the launch for unspecified reasons.

A Defense Ministry spokesman refused to comment. And Russian state-run television channels, which are lavishly covering the daily activities of Putin ahead of the election, did not report the failed launch.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A48229-2004Feb17?language=printer

[GreyV]

1. Whoops, heads are going to roll.

...

[Kagemusha]

2. We shouldn't joke about that.

It is Russia after all. Who knows if this may be.. literal.

[ex_jew]

3. So Putin's dressing up as a soldier now too !

It seems to go along with lack of interest in democracy.