A Russian spacecraft heading for the International Space Station with supplies has exploded in space.

The rocket Soyuz-U had been launched early on Thursday with a transport cargo vehicle (THC), called Progress MS-04, attached.

But the Russian State Corporation for Space ( Roscosmos ) later reported it had lost contact with the ship just six minutes into its journey to the ISS.

Now Roscosmos has reported that the Progress was lost over a mountainous area of Russia.

In a translated statement, it said: "December 1, 2016 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome was the launch of "Soyuz-U" with the transport cargo vehicle (THC) «Progress MS-04."

"Up to 382 seconds of flight of the launch vehicle took place normally. After 382 seconds of flight telemetry data reception ended.

"Established controls are not recorded on the functioning of the ship's estimated orbit.

"According to preliminary information, as a result of the loss contingency TGC occurred at an altitude of about 190 kilometers above the rugged uninhabited mountainous territory of the Republic of Tyva, and most of the fragments were burned in the dense layers of the atmosphere."

It is unclear if any fragments from the craft had landed on the Earth's surface.

It said the loss of the ship would not affect the operation of the ISS.

NASA said on its blog: “Our astronauts and the Russian cosmonauts are safe aboard the station.

"Consumables aboard the station are at good levels.”

The ship was set to deliver 2.6 tons of supplies, including food, oxygen and fuel, to the ISS.

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