The Russian government has placed three Glonass navigation satellites and a communications spacecraft into orbit in a pair of launches, according to press reports.

A Proton rocket lofted three modernized Glonass-M satellites into orbit Dec. 26 from Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, according to RIA Novosti news agency. Separately, a Soyuz 2 rocket delivered a Meridian spacecraft into orbit Dec. 24 following a pair of one-day delays. RIA Novosti cited a Russian Space Forces press office statement that a launch planned for Dec. 22 was postponed a day, then rescheduled for Sunday due to software failure.

The Meridian satellite is designed to provide communication between ground stations and vessels or airplanes observing ice formation and conditions in the North Sea area as well as expand a network of satellite communications in the northern regions of Siberia and the Russian Far East.