Russia says it has successfully launched a high-power communications satellite into orbit.

Officials say a Proton rocket carrying the new Express-AM4 satellite blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan early Thursday.

They say the telecommunications satellite is one of the most advanced in the world. It is equipped with technology operating in several frequency ranges, and antennas that will provide coverage for the Russian Federation and neighboring countries for the next 15 years.

The satellite was designed and built jointly by Russia's Khrunichev Center and Astrium, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS).

Russia says it is planning to launch six more satellites by 2013.