Putin praises Musk's 'genius' as Russia builds rival satellite network

Vladimir Putin called Elon Musk a true genius while speaking at a summit with African leaders in Moscow. The Russian president used the comparison to discuss the gap between the massive Starlink network and Russia's slower development of its own satellite communications system.

According to the Tass news agency, Putin noted that Musk has more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, a figure the Russian leader contrasted with his own nation's early steps. Estimates suggest the actual number of active SpaceX satellites is closer to 10,000. These satellites provide the high-speed internet service that recently became the center of a diplomatic dispute between the United States and Ukraine.

The conflict intensified in early October when a military version of the service, known as Starshield, was suddenly restricted. This move prevented Ukraine from conducting medium drone attacks and hampered some of its air defense systems. Musk initially denied ordering the throttling but later admitted he had closed a loophole that allowed military forces to use the civilian network.

Putin stated that Russia maintains close contact with American partners, including Musk, to ensure discipline in orbit. He emphasized the need to avoid interference between different satellite systems. However, Starlink does not function within Russian territory, and its use inside Ukraine was restricted earlier this year.

Moscow is developing an alternative system called Rassvet. The new constellation currently has an estimated 26 working satellites, giving it limited capacity compared to SpaceX. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced last week that operations were restored after about 10 days of restriction. He said the speeds were now where they needed to be.

Zelenskyy expressed hope that trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States would occur between November 6 and November 10 in Abu Dhabi. The meeting is scheduled to take place shortly after the US midterm elections, which are set for next Tuesday. Relations between the Ukrainian and American leaders remain tense in the lead-up to the vote.

In a separate development, Zelenskyy spoke with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The UK government announced it would provide 10 billion pounds in extra financing for Ukraine over the next three years. An immediate 500 million pounds was allocated specifically for air defense systems. John Healey, the UK chancellor, said Zelenskyy told them the news had made his day.

The Dutch government also committed to providing 500 million euros in military support for the winter and 1.2 billion euros in non-military aid. This funding is partly intended for urgent repairs to utilities and manufacturing. Zelenskyy reported that Russia had launched more than 100 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the surrounding region since mid-October, targeting power plants and other key infrastructure.