Russia says missile test blast released radioactive isotopes

Russia’s state weather agency has reportedly said that it found radioactive isotopes in test samples after an accident at a military test site that killed five people earlier this month. 

A cloud of inert radioactive gases had formed due to a decay in the isotopes, the weather agency said in a statement Monday, according to Reuters. The agency also said that the decay resulted in a brief radiation increase in the nearby city of Severodvinsk. 

It added that the isotopes were Strontium-91, Barium-139, Barium-140 and Lanthanum-140, which have half-lives of 9.3 hours, 83 minutes, 12.8 days and 40 hours, respectively.{mosads}

Multiple news outlets had reported that Russia’s state nuclear agency said the accident occurred during a rocket test and resulted in five deaths and three injuries. The country said it would continue to develop new weapons. 

Experts in the U.S. told Reuters that the incident could have happened during tests of a nuclear-powered cruise missile.