Russia have launched the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket containing the navigation satellite Glonass-M into space from the Plesetsk space center on Sunday. “On Sunday, at 03.21 a.m. Moscow time [24:21 GMT] a squad of Russian Space Forces of Russian Aerospace Forces successfully carried out a launch of a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the navigation satellite Glonass-M,” the press service told Russian media outlets. Tass.ru reports: “It will take several hours for the Frigate upper stage to bring the Glonass-M spacecraft to the intended orbit,” the Defense Ministry added. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket vehicle was launched from Plesetsk space port in the Archangelsk Region at 03.21 Moscow time. All the pre-launch operations and the rocket launch were normal. Ground-based automatic control aids monitored the space vehicle launch and flight,” the Defense Ministry said. This is the first Soyuz-2 medium class rocket vehicle launch at Plesetsk space port this year.