When the first ICBMs were being tested in 1957, they were aimed for impact zones on Kamchatka where warheads could be recovered on dry land. Downrange tracking and commanding sites were built intentionally along the ground track, in particular at Kolpashevo, which is STILL an active tracking site.

ALL R-7 rockets were launched along the SAME track for years afterwards. It leads into an orbital inclination of 65 degrees.

Later, to increase performance by using slightly more of Earth's rotational energy, inclinations were lowered (in 1966) to 51.2 degrees (Soyuz), which briefly skirted the Mongolian border, and even on occasion 49 degrees for some military shots. Due east would have been 46 degrees, but that would have led to the vehicle departing in-country tracking range before booster shutdown, not a good idea.

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