MOSCOW, December 22 (RIA Novosti) - A Kosmos-3M carrier rocket has successfully brought a Gonets-D1M communications satellite into orbit, the Russian Space Agency said Thursday.

The Gonets satellite has been added to a multi-purpose satellite communications group, which primarily serves Russia's security-related and law enforcement agencies.

The new satellite will provide high-speed transmission of short messages, e-mail and other communications. Its service duty is estimated at about seven years.