Stray Russian Missile Explodes in Kazakhstan VillageKazakhstan Foreign Ministry sent an urgent diplomatic note to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday, demanding a halt to live missile firing near its territory after a rocket strayed into the country.Kazakhstan sent the note to express its concern about the lack of safety measures when Russia undertakes such exercises in border regions. The note says that it is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Kazakhstan is therefore demanding Russia stop such live missile firing until an investigation and negotiations on the incident end. A special commission has been formed by Kazakhstan and Russia to investigate the incident and experts from both sides are estimating the damage, according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. The rocket, which was launched on Wednesday afternoon from Russia's Ashuluk testing range, fell on the village of Balkuduk in west Kazakhstan and exploded, leaving a crater some 14-meter wide and 4-meter deep. No one was injured and losses were light. It was the fifth time such an incident occurred. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |