Russian space officials are trying to find out why a military satellite that was launched on Monday failed to enter orbit and crashed into a remote region of Siberia.

Space officials say a preliminary investigation suggested a malfunction of the booster rocket.

Mission control lost contact with the satellite shortly after it was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

It has since been found together with the final stage of its booster in the Altai region of southern Siberia. Thirty-four similar satellites are already in orbit, where their functions include missile detection for the Russian defence ministry.