A converted RS-20B (SS-18 Satan) intercontinental ballistic missile has placed five Japanese satellites into orbit as part of a joint Russia-Ukraine program, a spokesperson for the Russian Strategic Missile Forces told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

"The rocket has successfully put the space vehicles into orbit," Col. Igor Egorov said.

A representative for Kosmotras company, in charge of the program, told RIA Novosti that the rocket was carrying an ASNARO-1 Earth observation satellite and four university-made micro-satellites.

The launch was carried out at 0735 GMT from the Yasny missile launch site in central Russia.

The Dnepr program, established by Russia and Ukraine in the 1990s, converts military RS-20 ICBMs into carrier rockets to put satellites into low Earth orbit. The program uses missiles withdrawn from combat duty, solving the problem of their elimination.

Technical maintenance of rockets used to be carried out by Ukrainian specialists, before Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ordered a moratorium on military-industrial cooperation with Russia in June over the armed conflict in Donbas.

Source: RIA Novosti