Putin calls Musk a 'real genius' and says Moscow coordinates satellite plans with SpaceX chief

Putin's remarks on Musk

On Wednesday, 28 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is coordinating work on low-Earth-orbit satellite networks with billionaire SpaceX chief Elon Musk and other American partners, despite political tensions between the two countries. He made the remarks on the margins of the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, which runs from 28 to 29 October. Putin called Musk a genius and pointed to the size of his fleet, which he put at more than 5,000 spacecraft in orbit. He said Russia values cooperation with the Americans despite all political issues.

“Elon Musk is a real genius. How many spacecraft does he have in orbit? More than 5,000.”

Russia's Rassvet network

Putin said Russia is proud of its work on Rassvet, the satellite network he described as the Starlink equivalent. He said the project was only Russia's first step in satellite communications, adding that the country was just taking its first steps in the field. He tied the contacts with Musk and US partners to orbital discipline, arguing that the sides must avoid getting in each other's way.

“We are in close contact with our American partners, including Mr Musk, because in orbit it is extremely important not to get in each other's way.”

He added that both Russia and its American partners appreciate this approach and keep working closely despite political problems.

The Starlink dispute in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Musk and Donald Trump in early October of limiting Kyiv's access to Starlink, which Ukraine uses to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had spoken with Musk and asked him to remove those restrictions. Ukraine said on 24 October that speed limits on the Starlink network had been lifted. A Romanian-language report citing EFE says Ukraine thanked the United States on Saturday, 24 October, after the military Starlink service returned to its usual parameters following Trump's express request to Musk. Zelensky also said the United States had stopped warning Ukraine before some Russian ballistic missile strikes. Musk explained that the restrictions aim to keep satellites from becoming targets of Russian retaliation, which could generate large amounts of debris and make space unusable.

Musk's stance on the war

Musk's position on Russia has shifted since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He initially backed Ukraine, but later made decisions on Starlink that limited the capabilities of the Ukrainian army, and his statements on peace terms often matched Moscow's demands. The Wall Street Journal reported in October 2024 that Musk had maintained contacts with Putin and senior Russian officials after the war began, though the details of those talks were not fully independently confirmed. Musk, as one of Trump's allies, has backed White House pressure on Ukraine to accept an end to the war on terms set by Moscow and Washington. The remarks did not specify what the satellite coordination involves beyond orbital discipline.