MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. A Fregat booster has successfully delivered a Glonass-M navigation satellite into orbit after detaching from the third stage of a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

"The Soyuz-2.1b medium-class carrier rocket that blasted off at 09:23 Moscow time from the Plesetsk state testing spaceport (the Arkhangelsk Region) on Monday, May 27, has successfully delivered the Russian Glonass-M navigation satellite into the designated orbit within the required time," the statement says.

This is the first launch of a Soyuz 2 carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome this year.

Russia’s Glonass orbital grouping currently comprises 26 satellites, of which 24 are operating according to their functional designation, one is at the stage of flight tests and the other is in the orbital reserve. About 15 satellites are operating beyond their service life.