Russian failed military missile launch caught on camera

Russia's military overhaul took an embarrassing turn after the video of a surface-to-air missile crashing seconds after launch emerged online.

The clip showed the military rocket plummeting back to the ground shortly after being fired near the Plesetsk military launch pad in the northern Arkhangelsk region.

Russian army officials confirmed to AFP that the failed test had taken place, while weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey said the faulty missile was an Antey-2500.

A spokesman for the state-owned company told local media the rocket "veered off-course and self-destructed" during a test to assess its manoeuvrability capabilities, the news agency reported.

The regional branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said the missile wasn't carrying hazardous material and the incident caused no harm to the population or the environment.

President Vladimir Putin has boosted military spending as part of a large plan to renew its Soviet-era weaponry started in 2011. Last year the government announced a record 3.3tr rubles (£43bn, $81bn) were to be pumped into Russia's defence budget in 2015.