Russian crew launches are done for an indefinite period. It’s entirely possible that Baikonur is just out of commission. If the pad is even capable of launching in its current condition, doing so would likely cause even more damage. So while the pad itself isn’t exactly destroyed, its capability for crewed launches certainly is. Until repairs are made.
Sensationalist title.
The launchpad suffered (possibly serious) damage during a launch.
Sensationalist yes, but technically accurate.
I’ll take that over an outright wrong sensational title.
Russian crew launches are done for an indefinite period. It’s entirely possible that Baikonur is just out of commission. If the pad is even capable of launching in its current condition, doing so would likely cause even more damage. So while the pad itself isn’t exactly destroyed, its capability for crewed launches certainly is. Until repairs are made.