Russia successfully launches military satellite

Russia's Soyuz-2.1V light-class carrier rocket has successfully put a military satellite into orbit, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk spaceport in Russia's northern Arkhangelsk Region at 8.52 p.m. local time on Monday, Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

The satellite is meant to monitor the functioning of other satellites and take pictures of the Earth's surface, it said.

This is the fifth launch of the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle carried out this year from the Plesetsk. The previous launch was carried out on September 26.