VLADIVOSTOK, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia plans to conduct two space launches from its new Vostochny space center in the Far Eastern Amur region this December, local press reported on Wednesday.

"Everything goes according to schedule. We plan Souyz-2 launches in December under the state program to put into orbit the Canopus-V and the Meteor-M remote sensing satellites," Igor Komarov, head of the Roscosmos space corporation, was quoted by Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper as saying.

Up to 10 launches, including commercial ones, will be conducted at Vostochny annually which is still under construction.

The construction of the Vostochny space center covering an area of some 700 square kilometers began in 2012. As the first Russian facility for civilian space launches, the center is intended to reduce the country's dependence on the Kazakhstan-based Baikonur launch site and ensure its full-scale access to outer space.