The unusual phenomenon in the sky above Israel, which hundreds took for a UFO, could be connected with the test launch of Russia's intercontinental ballistic missile Topol. The missile was launched from Kapustin Yar test ground in Russia's Astrakhan region.
Astronomers confirmed the journalists' supposition that said that the mysterious light in the sky could occur as a result of the launch of a ballistic missile.
"The object looked like a small body that suddenly started growing and performing spiral-like movements," Igal Petel, the director of the observatory in the center of Israel told Ynet. "A bit later, the object turned into a cloud. It all looked as if the object was flying high above the ground and then fell apart," she added.
Scientists said that the object was staying in the airspace of Lebanon at the height of 80 kilometers. They were certain that it was not a meteor. "Most likely, the missile went out of control, and the people could observe its fragments and fuel. The missile reached the height of 200-300 kilometers - this is the reason why it could be seen from so many places," Petel added.
If it goes about a part of the Russian Topol - one may assume that the Israelis could observe a stage of the ballistic missile. Its warhead hit the target on Sary-Shagan range ground in Kazakhstan, Russian defense officials said.
Other versions say that it could be a crashing satellite that caused the phenomenon or a large fragment of a satellite.
Hundreds of residents of northern Israel said that at night of June 7th they could see an unidentified flying object to the north off the border with Lebanon. There was bright light spreading from the object. The UFO was also observed in Armenia, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries in the region.
Eyewitnesses said that a comet-like object flew across the sky at a high altitude at about 21:00. Israeli defense officials said that the Army was not conducting any tests or drills at night of June 7th. All adequate services, including Air Force, investigate all reports about the "UFO."