Purple Plume Over Russian Test Site After Suspected Sarmat ICBM Launch Failure, Video

A missile launched from the Yasny test site in Russia’s Orenburg region failed shortly after takeoff and exploded in purple smoke near the town, in what bore the hallmarks of another RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile test failure, Defense Express reported on November 28.

Video published by local outlets and social media channels shows a rocket rising only briefly above the launch area before veering off course, falling back toward the ground and detonating, sending a tall plume of unusually colored smoke into the sky. 

According to the reports, residents heard a loud explosion followed by visible smoke. However, regional authorities indicated that there would be no evacuation and provided no details about the type of missile involved.

Defense Express wrote that a silo on the Yasny test site, which is configured for R-36-class missiles, the hypergolic fuel signature and the absence of any announced satellite launch or strategic forces exercise together offered a “very strong clue” that the failed launch involved the newer RS-28 Sarmat ICBM, which is meant to replace the R-36 and use the same silos and fuel pair.

The article emphasized that heptyl-based fuel has “strong toxic and mutagenic effects” and is considered deadly at high concentrations, and linked the color and behavior of the exhaust to past Proton and R-36 accidents where similarly colored clouds were observed. 

The outlet also assessed that the Yasny explosion would mark only the third or fourth known test of the Sarmat system, with just one flight assessed as at least partially successful so far. 

However, alternative reports suggest the failed launch may have involved a different system. Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi analyzed the incident and concluded the explosion could have involved a UR-100N intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, rather than the newer RS-28 Sarmat.

The site in Yasny is known to host both legacy R-36-based systems and newer Avangard-configured launchers, complicating identification. If confirmed, this would mark a significant test failure for the Avangard-equipped missile, which has been in limited deployment since 2019.

Earlier, it was reported that a collapse of the service cabin at Baikonur’s Soyuz launch pad severely damaged critical fueling and access structures, grounding Russia’s crewed launches.

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