On December 3, 2020 at 01:14 UTC the “Soyuz-2.1B” rocket-carrier was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Arkhangelsk region, North Russia. The launch was performed by Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. The rocket orbited the three “Gonets-M” communication satellites. Russian government ministries and civilian authorities use the “Gonets-M” satellites to relay secure messages between mobile terminals and fixed operators. Gonets means “messenger” in Russian. The satellites are designed for five-year missions.