The Molnya rocket blasted off from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia at 5:53 am (0353 GMT).

Shortly after the launch, the satellite reached orbit and was taken under military space corps' control, officials said.

Corps' chief Anatoly Perminov, who observed the launch from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, hailed the launch crew's professionalism and noted proudly that it was the 222nd launch of a Molniya-M rocket, 216 of which had been successful.

SPACE.WIRE