Most likely a fabrication defect. Someone drilled a hole in a frame at wrong place during assembly, but to avoid reassebling the whole ship they just decided to quick-fix it using a glue-like substance. Obviously the fix did not stand for long.
This seems like a very crude method of sabotage if committed by someone onboard. It seems as though someone with an intimate knowledge of the ISS or Russian capsules would have come up with a more subtle / effective way to sabotage if that was the intent. As an armchair speculator, I'd put my money on manufacturing defect that was patched on the ground and came apart in space.
On the other hand, the scuffs surrounding the hole suggest multiple attempts at puncturing. Not sure what to make of that. Will be interesting to see what reports find.
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[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 27.4 ms ] threadThe probability of this being sabotage is extremely low.
It's more likely someone fouled up and then didn't own up.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17906712
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/09/russian-space-chief-...
On the other hand, the scuffs surrounding the hole suggest multiple attempts at puncturing. Not sure what to make of that. Will be interesting to see what reports find.