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Manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-08 put into orbit

The manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-08 carrying the crew of three astronauts, has been placed into orbit and is heading to the International Space Station

© Sergey Savostianov/TASS

BAIKONUR COSMODROME /Kazakhstan/, March 21./TASS/. The manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-08 carrying the crew of three astronauts, has been placed into orbit and is heading to the International Space Station, a representative from the Roscosmos State Corporation told has reporters.

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Soyuz-FG rocket carrying manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-08 blasts off to ISS

The Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft launched from Baikonur spaceport is taking Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev and NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Richard Arnold to the International Space Station (ISS). The docking with the Russian segment of the ISS is scheduled for 22:41 Moscow time on March 23.

The Soyuz-FG rocket blasted off from Baikonur at 20:44, Moscow time.

Artemyev earlier said he would set out on a spacewalk on August 8 together with Sergei Prokopyev, who is due to reach the ISS in June. The Russian cosmonauts will install equipment on the external surface of the ISS for the ICARUS experiment on monitoring wild birds. This will be the most interesting experiment out of more than 50 others, which the Russian crew will carry out during the flight, the cosmonaut said. The Russian cosmonauts will also launch nano-satellites during their spacewalk.

The Soyuz MS-08 takes to the station a ball of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The ball will be later taken back to the Earth by cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov and may be used in the first match of the championship in Russia.

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Mikhail Mishustin added that "it is necessary to modernize border crossings in coming years, including introduction of practice of electronic paperwork"

Putin orders protection of critical infrastructure, including Crimean Bridge — Kremlin

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Russia to address NATO’s engagement in strikes deep inside country — SVR

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Iran claims to have disabled Israel’s Iron Dome air defense in past strikes

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Viktor Orban asserted that the government’s mission is to prevent Hungary from being dragged into the Ukrainian conflict

US uses veto right to block new UN Security Council draft resolution on ceasefire in Gaza

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Ex-German chancellor never expected Russia to tolerate Ukraine’s NATO membership — memoir

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Gallup poll shows sharp decline in Ukrainian support for American policies

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Freezing Ukrainian conflict unacceptable for Russia, says Kremlin

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Moscow, Minsk in constant contact on potential threats to Belarus — Kremlin

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Russia to use revenues from frozen assets of Western investors — Finance Minister

Tit-for-tat measures will be implemented after receiving information about unfriendly actions of Western countries, Anton Siluanov noted

Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

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US decision on missile strikes aimed at provoking Russia, expert says

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Ukrainian special services assemble unit for sabotage attacks in Kupyansk — official

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Moscow won’t allow US to silence UNSC as Washington backs Israel — Russian UN envoy

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