Russia bolsters space defence capabilities with Soyuz rocket launch

A Soyuz-2.1v rocket carrying military spacecraft was successfully launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia’s Arkhangelsk region on the morning of February 5, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced via Telegram.

The exact purpose and details of the payload remain classified, with the MoD stating only that the launch was conducted in the interests of national defence, Caliber.Az reports.

The Soyuz-2.1v is a light-class two-stage launch vehicle derived from the Soyuz-2.1b model. Developed by the Progress Rocket and Space Center, it is designed to deploy spacecraft into low circular and elliptical orbits. The rocket made its maiden flight in December 2013.

This latest military launch follows a similar mission in early December when a Soyuz-2.1b rocket successfully placed a military satellite into orbit. According to reports, a stable telemetry link was established with that satellite, and its onboard systems were functioning normally.

Rostec previously announced that in 2024, engines produced by the United Engine Corporation (UEC) powered 15 Soyuz rocket launches from the Baikonur, Vostochny, and Plesetsk cosmodromes.

According to Roscosmos, between December 27, 2006, and November 5, 2024, a total of 72 Soyuz-2.1b rocket launches were conducted, placing 665 spacecraft into near-Earth orbits and various flight trajectories.

Dmitry Rogozin, former head of Roscosmos, stated in 2022 that all available resources of the state corporation's spacecraft were utilized in support of the Russian Defence Ministry.

By Tamilla Hasanova