Russia launches Soyuz-2.1a rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome

ARKHANGELSK REGION, RUSSIA (DEC. 25, 2025) (USERS MUST CREDIT “RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY” HANDOUT- DO NOT OBSCURE LOGO- FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Russia successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1a medium-class carrier rocket carrying a spacecraft from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome the Russian Defense Ministry announced early Friday, Dec. 26.The launch took place at 17:11 local time on Dec. 25 from the State Test Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region, the ministry said in a statement."A combat crew of the Russian Aerospace Forces successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1a medium-class carrier rocket with spacecraft," it said, adding that the launch and orbital insertion proceeded normally.After liftoff, the carrier rocket was tracked by the ground-based automated control system of the Main Test Space Center named after German Stepanovich Titov, according to the statement.The ministry confirmed that the spacecraft was inserted into its target orbit at the calculated time and is now under control of ground assets of the Aerospace Forces' space troops.The ministry did not disclose further details about the nature or purpose of the spacecraft.(Footage by Russian Defense Ministry /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)