Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with spacecraft has been launched by the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces at 3:15am Moscow time from the Plesetsk spaceport, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service said.

"The Soyuz-2.1b rocket launch was supervised by Commander of the Space Forces, Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Defense Forces Gen. Col. Alexander Golovko, who arrived to the spaceoprt to oversee preparations and launch of the spacecraft," the press service said.

According to the defense ministry, all pre-lauch operations were completed in the routine regime. The ground automated control complex oversaw the launch and flight of the carrier rocket.

This is the third launch of the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket from the Plesetsk spaceport in 2018. The latest launch was completed on June 17.

Trials of the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket started on 8 November 2004. Over the last 14 years, 34 Soyuz-2 carrier rockets of 1a, 1b and 1v modernizations were launched.