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A failed missile launch saw a rocket explode into a fireball before sending debris falling to the ground.

An extraordinary video is believed to show a major Russian missile failure soon after launch.

It captured the eerie display light up the night sky at Kapustin Yar rocket launch and development site in Astrakhan region east of Volgograd.

Reports - not confirmed by the Russian defence ministry - initially suggested a failed launch of a S-300 Favorit military missile system.

But a report by Russian news site lenta.ru claims the failed launch from Vladimir Putin’s rocket forces was an S-350 Vityaz and that the hushed-up incident took place on Friday, December 7.

The shocking footage shows the sky light up in a massive explosion.

(Image: avia.pro/east2west news)

A smoke trail from the missile launch is also visible.

Moments later there is a ground explosion when the missile returns to earth unleashing a giant fireball with plumes of smoke rising into the sky.

The film is believed to have been made by fire officer on patrol close to the military launch site.

In the last seconds of the video the cameramen orders a colleague ‘Switch the siren on!’ as they follow other fire appliances rushing towards the crash site.

The information about a troubled launch was confirmed by an Interfax news agency source.

(Image: avia.pro/east2west news)

There was no major damage on the ground and no casualties, the source said.

The defence ministry has not commented.

The S-350 Vityaz is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system currently undergoing tests.

Work on the system began in 2007, first tests began in 2013. The system is supposed to replace S-300PS and BUK-M1-2. The tests were due to be over in 2017.