Russia's Soyuz-2.1B carrier rocket has put into orbit a Glonass-M navigation satellite, Space Forces spokesman Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin said on Monday.

He said the satellite separated from the carrier rocket in line with the schedule at 3:53 on Monday Moscow time (23:53 GMT on Sunday).

The Soyuz-2.1B carrier rocket was launched on Monday at 0:15 Moscow time (20:15 Sunday GMT) from the Plesetsk Space Center in northern Russia.

The launch was initially scheduled for Saturday, but it was postponed since the wind force exceeded the characteristics, allowed at the altitude of 7-10 kilometers.

Glonass is Russia's answer to the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian uses. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.