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Russian Supply Rocket Malfunctions, Breaks Up Over Siberia En Route To ISS (npr.org)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: An unmanned cargo rocket bound for the International Space Station was destroyed after takeoff on Thursday. The Russian rocket took off as planned from Baikonur, Kazahkstan, on Thursday morning but stopped transmitting data about six minutes into its flight, as NPR's Rae Ellen Bichell reported: "'Russian officials say the spacecraft failed [...] when it was about 100 miles above a remote part of Siberia. The ship was carrying more than 2 1/2 tons of supplies -- including food, fuel and clothes. Most of that very likely burned up as the unmanned spacecraft fell back toward Earth. NASA says the six crew members on board the International Space station, including two Americans, are well stocked for now.'" This is the fourth botched launch of an unmanned Russian rocket in the past two years. Roscomos officials wrote in an update today: "According to preliminary information, the contingency took place at an altitude of about 190 km over remote and unpopulated mountainous area of the Republic of Tyva. The most of cargo spacecraft fragments burned in the dense atmosphere. The State Commission is conducting analysis of the current contingency. The loss of the cargo ship will not affect the normal operations of the ISS and the life of the station crew."
They should be. Soyuz-U launchers used to be absolutely reliable, with 30 years of flawless flights before the 2010s. Apparently the new generation of Russian aerospace workers are monkeys, there is no other explanation for the failures.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
with 30 years of flawless flights
There actually seems to be one failure every several years in that time period, but given the very high flight rate of that vehicle, that's not shabby at all.
Ezekiel 23:20