On July 30, 2019 at 05:56 UTC the “Soyuz-2.1a” rocket-carrier was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Arkhangelsk region, North Russia. The launch was performed by Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. The rocket equipped with the “Fregat” booster (upper stage) orbited Russian “Meridian-M” military communication satellite. The “Meridian” satellite will link Russian ground forces, aircraft, ships and command centers in the Arctic, Siberia and the North Sea, outside the reach of stable communications coverage through geostationary satellites over the equator.