Russia launched the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS-K) navigation spacecraft, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Monday.

GLONASS is a global navigation satellite system that provides real-time position and speed determination for military and civilian users and is intended to be an alternative to the US global positioning system (GPS). In recent decades, Moscow has spent billions of dollars developing the GLONASS system.

"On Monday, October 10, at 05:52 Moscow time, from the State Test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Plesetsk Cosmodrome) in the Arkhangelsk Region, combat crews of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces successfully launched the Soyuz-2.1b medium-class launch vehicle with the Glonass-K navigation spacecraft," the ministry said.