Posted: Fri, Dec 26, 2014, 11:30 AM ET (1630 GMT)
A Soyuz rocket launched what is widely believed to be a Russian military electronic intelligence satellite on Thursday. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 10:01 am EST Wednesday (0301 GMT, 6:01 am Moscow time Thursday) and placed the satellite into orbit. Russian officials did not describe the satellite's mission, or even give its name, beyond it being a communications satellite. However, Western observers widely believe the satellite is a Lotos-S satellite designed to eavesdrop on communications.

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