Strange object is leaving the atmosphere recorded by camera on board the ISS

On January 1, 2018 the NASA HD camera on board the International Space Station recorded something at the moment it is leaving the atmosphere.
At first one would think it could be a sprite, a discharge from a large thunderstorm however the object is clearly heading upwards into space confirms that it is no sprite.
With all the strange activities going on in space, is it possible that they have launched a “cigar-shaped” object into space for some reason?