Russian army offers to pay as stray rocket hits house

Thu 17 Jan 2008, 9:14 GMT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's military on Thursday offered compensation to a homeowner after a small rocket veered off course and hit his country house outside Moscow.

Russian Internet chatrooms were buzzing late on Wednesday after local news agencies reported that "an unidentified flying object dropped two bombs near Moscow".

A defence ministry official told Reuters two rockets had gone astray during a military exercise near Moscow on Wednesday afternoon. One hit the roof of an unoccupied house 3.5 km (2.2 miles) away.

"The damage is estimated at 60,000 roubles (1,253 pounds). It will be compensated for in two days," said Yevgeny Konashenkov, spokesman for Russian land troops. "The owner of the house treats the incident with understanding. He has no legal claims."

Luckily for the nearby compound of cottage houses, the rockets disconnected at launch from the load of explosives they normally carry to clear minefields.

(Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov and Vera Kalian; Editing by Dominic Evans)