December 5, 2010 three GLONASS satellites drowned

Today, December 5, 2010, the Proton-M launch vehicle with three Glonass-M satellites launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The rocket left the launch normally. and a few hours later Roscosmos sparingly notified that the block of spacecraft was launched into an off-design orbit. Before this, various sources indicated that this non-calculated orbit had already brought satellites into the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
It is worth noting that the launch was epoch-making - it was expected that thanks to three new devices (these were 111, 112 and 113 system satellites), the GLONASS constellation will finally be deployed to its nominal strength. Obviously, this did not happen. What actually happened and what can this mean for users of the “Russian GPS” and for the system?

At the moment, the situation is unclear, and the final result on the causes of the problem can be made only after the official conclusion of the already formed commission to identify the causes of the disaster and the procedure for further action. So far, diverse, often conflicting information has been circulating, according to which malfunctions in the flight path of the rocket began to be observed almost from the moment of launch, and ultimately led to a pitch error of several angular degrees. Probably, the main intrigue will be who is to blame - the creators of the Proton launch vehicle (Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center) or the creators of the DM-03 booster block - it was in this launch that the new modification of the DM block (11С861-03) was first tested in practice with increased refueling and greater payload.
What does this failure mean for the GLONASS system?
Firstly, the plan of deployment of the group to the standard configuration (24 vehicles of 8 in each of the three orbital planes) is frustrated. Currently, only 20 satellites work in the system, and two devices in two orbital planes do not work. Satellites are not eternal, but GLONASS satellites in comparison with GPS satellites - especially, and by the time the next three devices are launched, the state of the constellation will certainly not improve.
Secondly, it is interesting that 113 GLONASS satellites have already been launched in the USSR / RF, but no systems have been launched, while in the USA up to today only 61 satellites have been launched, and the system was deployed back in 1994 and since then It is fully and continuously in working condition. Obviously, the task of creating a competitive, “long-playing” spacecraft is a priority in comparison with the continuous launch of obsolete spacecraft in huge numbers.
Thirdly, the deadline for the planned final transition of the GLONASS system to transmit signals in CDMA format is approaching, which will make sense - in whole or in part - work on the creation of specific GLONASS / GPS receivers.

UPD. As the investigation showed, a complex of factors became the cause of the drop in valuable cargo.of which the most impressive was the generous overflow of fuel beyond the limits of the fuel into the tanks of the upper stage. And it turned out to be embarrassing, as it turned out two weeks later, the lack of control over the documentation - "technical documentation was not worked out, control over it was not carried out . "
In general, it is worth considering.