Putin salutes Musk's genius as Russia plays catch-up with Starlink

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Elon Musk as a genius on October 28, acknowledging Russia's early progress in developing its own Starlink-like satellite internet system. The admission was particularly noteworthy as a version of Starlink, created by Musk's SpaceX, was utilized by Ukraine's military during their conflict with Russia as a crucial component of drone operations and battlefield communications.

Putin made the remark during a presentation by Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev, who stated that Russia had launched over 30 satellites in its endeavor to create an equivalent to Starlink. "Just a second, I want to point out this is just our first step," Putin remarked, accompanied by a group of African leaders at a summit in Moscow.

"Elon Musk is a genius, he's just a real genius." Shadayev informed Putin that Musk had over 5,000 low-orbit satellites operational, though the precise count is around 10,000 according to Orbital Radar. Putin expressed pride in Russia's independent progress and emphasized the need to transition from quality to quantity. He maintained close communication with American partners, including Musk, to ensure proper coordination in orbit and avoid conflicts.

The use of Starlink by Ukraine has been a contentious issue, especially following complaints about speed restrictions that hindered the interception of Russian attack drones and led to the cancellation of some operations.