Russia announced successful launch of Soyuz-2.1b rocket

The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying a military satellite took place at 20:59 (Moscow time) from the Russian Defense Ministry's National Test Cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk province.

The Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying a military satellite was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. (Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation).

According to a reporter in Moscow, on December 4, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) successfully launched the Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Plesetsk cosmodrome.

The launch took place at 20:59 (Moscow time) from the Russian Defense Ministry's State Test Cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket carried the military satellite into space.

A day earlier, during a joint exercise, the Russian Navy and Aerospace Forces (VKS) also launched high-precision sea- and air-based missiles in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket was developed and produced by the Progress Rocket and Space Center (Samara).

This type of rocket is used to launch military and civilian spacecraft, including commercial satellites. It is also the type of rocket that launched the GLONASS navigation system into space.