Russian satellites off course, crash into Pacific: RIA

Three Russian satellites, being sent into orbit to complete Russia's GLONASS navigation system, fell off course on Sunday and crashed into the Pacific Ocean not far from the Hawaii Islands, Ria News Agency reported.

A spokesman for Russia's space agency Roscosmos said that the satellites had strayed from their course and caused an "un-planned situation". He did not confirm that they had crashed.

The satellites were being carried by the "Proton-M" rocket carrier, which blasted off early on Sunday from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan.