MOSCOW, December 9 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian Proton-M carrier rocket, launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, has put a military satellite into orbit, Russia's space agency (Roskosmos) said on Sunday.

"A Proton-M carrier rocket, which was launched from the Baikonur space center at 03: 16 a.m. Moscow time (00:16 a.m. GMT) today [on Sunday], successfully put a Kosmos satellite into orbit at 12:17 p.m. Moscow time (09:17 a.m. GMT)," Roskosmos said.

The launch of the Kosmos satellite in the interests of the Russian Defense Ministry aims to build up the orbital group of military designation, Roskosmos said.

The Proton rocket launches both commercial missions and Russian government payloads from the Baikonur space center, which is operated by Roskosmos under lease from Kazakhstan.

On October 24, Kazakhstan lifted a ban on Proton launches from the Baikonur space center, which was imposed following a September 6 crash of a Proton-M rocket.