A missile as good as a mile

Authentic, not at all photoshopped image of the new Soviet Russian Kalibr missile, now being field-tested for the first time in Syria, or close to it, anyway. Via Survincity.

Al-Jazeera, 4:48 GMT (= 9:48 Eastern):

However, cruise missiles do malfunction and crash on occasion, even later model, US-made Tomahawks, have caused incidents this way.

If a Russian missile had malfunctioned and crashed in Iran or Iraq, the diplomatic ramifications could have been significant.

CNN, 1:38 EST:

A number of cruise missiles launched from a Russian ship and aimed at targets in Syria have crashed in Iran, two U.S. officials told CNN Thursday.

Monitoring by U.S. military and intelligence assets has concluded that at least four missiles crashed as they flew over Iran. One official said there may be casualties, but another official said this is not yet known.

That was fast. Trying for the George W. Bush Memorial Award in International Fail, Vladimir Vladimirovich?

Update 2:29: Times alert reached my computer ten minutes after this was posted.