MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - A military satellite launched on a Russian carrier rocket has been put into orbit, a Space Forces spokesman said Friday

The Molnia-M carrier rocket launch was conducted from the Plesetsk space center at 8.20 a.m. Moscow time (4:20 a.m. GMT) Friday and the rocket delivered the Cosmos satellite into its designated orbit at 9.16 a.m. Moscow time (5:16 a.m. GMT).

"It has been assigned the number Cosmos-2422," the spokesman said. "The satellite, which was launched in the interests of the Defense Ministry, is now in stable contact with ground control. All onboard systems are operating normally."

The spokesman added that the new spacecraft would strengthen Russia's orbital group of military satellites.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in March that the Russian orbital group consisted of 96 satellites, of which 59 are used for military purposes.

The four-stage medium-range Molnia-M, which has a lift-off weight of 305 metric tons, is believed to be one of the most reliable in the world and is used for launching spacecraft of up to two metric tons into high-elliptical orbits.

Russia has launched 220 Molnia-M carrier rockets from the Plesetsk space center since 1970.