Putin calls Elon Musk a genius while Russia tests new satellite network
The Russian president said he is in close contact with SpaceX chief Elon Musk as Moscow works to build a rival to Starlink with its own constellation of low Earth orbit satellites.
By Jason Wood ·
Russian President Vladimir Putin described SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as a "genius" on Wednesday, revealing that the two leaders maintain close communication regarding space technology. Putin made these remarks at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, where he discussed the progress of Russia's own satellite connectivity project. He acknowledged that Musk has placed more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, a feat that puts Russia's current efforts behind the curve.
The Russian initiative, known as Rassvet, is a satellite internet constellation operating in low Earth orbit. It is built by the private aerospace company Bureau 1440. According to satellite tracker Orbital Radar, the network currently has 31 satellites in orbit. These were launched since March of this year, with 26 currently positioned in their working orbit at an altitude of approximately 509 kilometers.
Putin stated that Russia is proud to have started this work independently. He emphasized the importance of discipline and order in orbit to prevent interference between nations. He noted that both Russia and its U.S. partners value this mutual understanding. Despite ongoing political tensions, Putin said he continues to work closely with Musk.
SpaceX, the owner of Starlink, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Starlink operates a constellation of over 11,000 satellites that provide high-speed internet access to 174 countries. The service recently faced scrutiny after Ukraine accused SpaceX and Musk of imposing restrictions that slowed military satellite internet access.
Ukrainian officials said the restrictions affected Starshield, a satellite communications service for governments. They reported that drones and moving terminals experienced degraded connectivity when traveling above roughly 100 miles per hour. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed these limitations for disrupting air defense capabilities during Russian air attacks.
Musk stated that Starshield is controlled by the U.S. government and the president, although other reports attributed the restriction to Musk directly. U.S. President Donald Trump denied ordering the limitation. The White House and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment on the source of the order. Musk later claimed Ukraine breached Starlink's terms of service by using a civilian commercial network for offensive drone strikes, a claim Ukraine has denied.
Putin's comments come as the war in Ukraine approaches its fifth year. Early Thursday, a Russian jet-powered drone attack killed 13 people and injured 10 at a railway station in Dnipro. Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha provided these figures. Russia also attacked Kharkiv, damaging an educational institution, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Russia's Ministry of Defense said it intercepted and destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles overnight.
U.S.-brokered peace talks between Putin, Zelenskyy, and Trump may occur next month. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that preparations are underway for a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi to take place by November 10. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow has not yet proposed a specific date. He noted that the timing depends on the situation in the Middle East and the battlefield, stating that the current conditions do not allow for the meeting in the near future.
Source: CNBC
