Putin calls Elon Musk a genius as Russia ramps up Starlink rival

Russian President Vladimir Putin described SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk as a genius on Wednesday, revealing that the two leaders maintain close communication about developing a Russian alternative to Starlink.

Speaking at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Putin noted that Musk has already placed more than 5,000 satellites in orbit. He contrasted that number with Russia's current progress on its own satellite connectivity project, Rassvet.

Rassvet is a low Earth orbit constellation built by the private aerospace firm Bureau 1440. Satellite tracker Orbital Radar indicates that 31 satellites are currently in orbit, with 32 launched since March 2026. Of those, 26 are operating in their working orbit at an altitude of approximately 509 kilometers.

Putin stated that Russia is proud to be developing this capability independently. He emphasized the need for discipline in orbital operations to avoid interference between constellations.

Despite ongoing political tensions, Putin said Russia and its U.S. partners value mutual understanding in space. He confirmed that Moscow continues to work closely with Musk on these matters.

The comments come as Starlink operates a constellation of more than 11,000 satellites providing internet access to 174 countries. The service recently faced scrutiny after Ukraine accused SpaceX of imposing restrictions on military connectivity.

Ukrainian officials said the restrictions affected Starshield, a government communication service. They reported that drones and moving terminals lost connectivity above speeds of roughly 100 miles per hour. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed the limitations for disrupting air defense capabilities during Russian attacks.

Musk said Starshield is controlled by the U.S. government and the president, though other reports attribute the restriction to him. U.S. President Donald Trump denied ordering the restriction, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

Musk later argued that Ukraine breached Starlink terms of service by using the civilian network for offensive drone strikes, a claim Ukraine denies.

Putin’s remarks occurred as the war between Russia and Ukraine approaches its fifth anniversary. On Thursday, a Russian jet-powered drone attack on a railway station in Dnipro killed 13 people and injured 10, according to regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha.

Russia also targeted Kharkiv, damaging an educational institution, while its Ministry of Defense said it destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles overnight.

U.S.-brokered peace talks involving Putin, Zelenskyy, and Trump are anticipated next month. Zelenskyy said preparations are underway for a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi by November 10, though Moscow has not yet set a specific date.