Russia has launched a Proton-M launch vehicle with three Glonass-M navigation satellites, a Russian global positioning system (GPS), from the Baikonur Space Centre in Kazakhstan.

Glonass is a radio-based satellite navigation system which is being developed independently of the US-controlled GPS system.

The Russian GPS system can be used for both military and civilian purposes.

Russia requires 24 operational and up to three reserve satellites in orbit to ensure global coverage, and the nation is planning to launch another Glonass-M satellite into orbit by the end of this month atop a Soyuz 2.1b launch vehicle from Russia’s Plesetsk space centre.