Putin Praises Musk, Calls Russia's Starlink Rival

Vladimir Putin called Elon Musk a genius on Wednesday. He made the remark while outlining Russia's efforts to build a rival to Starlink. Putin spoke at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. He stated that the two men maintain close contact.

"Elon Musk is a genius, truly a genius," Putin said. He noted that Musk currently has more than 5,000 satellites in orbit. Putin added that Russia is only taking the first steps. He was discussing Rassvet, the Russian satellite connectivity project.

Bureau 1440, a private aerospace company, is building the Rassvet constellation. It uses low Earth orbit satellites. Data from Orbital Radar shows 32 satellites launched since March. Thirty-one are currently in orbit. Twenty-six have reached their working orbit at about 509 kilometers.

Putin said Russia is proud of starting this work independently. He claimed orbital operators must avoid interfering with one another. He emphasized the need for rules, discipline, and order in space. "Together with Mr. Musk, despite all the political issues, we continue to work closely," he said.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company states Starlink operates more than 11,000 satellites. It provides high-speed internet in 174 countries. The service has faced scrutiny this month. Ukraine accused SpaceX of imposing restrictions that slowed military access. Ukrainian officials said the limits affected Starshield. This caused drones and moving terminals to lose connectivity above roughly 100 miles per hour.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed these restrictions for disrupting air defenses. He cited frequent Russian air attacks as the context. Musk has said Starshield is controlled by the U.S. government. Other reports indicated Musk imposed the restriction. U.S. President Donald Trump denied ordering it. The White House and SpaceX did not respond to questions about the service limits. Musk later claimed Ukraine breached terms of service by using a civilian network for offensive drone strikes. Ukraine denies this claim.

Putin's remarks came as fighting continues near the war's fifth year. A Russian jet-powered drone attack on a railway station in Dnipro killed 13 people and injured 10 on Thursday. Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha provided the figures. Russia also struck Kharkiv, damaging an educational institution. Mayor Ihor Terekhov wrote about the strike on Telegram. Russia's Ministry of Defense said it destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight. U.S.-brokered peace talks involving Putin, Zelenskyy, and Trump could take place next month. Zelenskyy said preparations are underway for a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi by November 10. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow has not proposed a date. He said timing depends on the battlefield and the situation in the Middle East.