(Photo: Xinhua)

Russia on Friday successfully launched a military satellite from its Plesetsk cosmodrome in the northern Arkhangelsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service said that the Rokot launch vehicle with the satellite took off at 17:00 p.m. Moscow time (1400 GMT).

A few minutes after the launch, the Briz-KM upper stage, together with the head part containing the satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle and proceeded to the selected orbit, it said.