MOSCOW, June 21 (RIA Novosti) - The launching of the Molnya-M carrier rocket failed Tuesday, Space Corps officials said. The rocket was carrying a Molnya-3K military telecommunications satellite to orbit.

"The preparation and the launch were conducted without any problems. There are no casualties or structural damage. The launch complex at the Plesetsk space center was not affected," a Space Corps spokesman said.

According to preliminary data, Molnya-M experienced technical problems six minutes into its flight.

The spokesperson said satellite failed to reach the orbit and was considered lost.

According to experts, the military satellite either fell into a forest with the rocket's third stage or self-destructed.

Emergency Situations Ministry experts flew to the Molnya-M crash zone in the Tyumen region. The area in which the debris scattered is reportedly unpopulated.

The Molnya-M carrier rocket uses the ecologically clean fuel components kerosene and liquid oxygen. There is no threat to the ecology at the crash site.