Russia lost its best rocket during a launch. The malfunction could have been caused by production issues due to sanctions.
The Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom reported this on Twitter.
According to the summary, debris from the rocket was visible in photos from open sources taken on March 31, which fell in a field in the Saratov region in southern Russia. Initially, it was thought to be parts of a Ukrainian drone, but a more thorough examination showed that the debris most likely belonged to fragments of the Russian air-launched cruise missile AS-23a KODIAK (NATO designation for missiles X-101, X-102).
According to British intelligence, it is likely that the debris was formed due to a malfunction of the KODIAK missile, launched in the direction of Ukraine earlier that morning. The Saratov region is a known launch site for Russian long-range aviation bombers and the location of the Engels airbase, where several bombers are based.
"The AS-23a KODIAK is Russia's premier precision guided munition with a range of about 4000 km. It has been used extensively against Ukraine, most recently targeting energy infrastracture accross the country. The highly likely malfunction of such a prestigious missile indicates production problems, likely impacted by sanctions and being rushed to meet the demands of the conflict," the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom stated.
