Putin praises Elon Musk as Russia builds Starlink internet rival

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised US tech billionaire Elon Musk as a genius while speaking at an exhibition on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit in Moscow. Euronews, RTE, and The Guardian all reported that Putin made the comments while highlighting Russia's efforts to develop its own satellite internet network. [1][2][4]

During a presentation in Moscow, Putin was informed that Musk had more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, according to Euronews. RTE reported that the Russian president acknowledged Moscow is only beginning to roll out its answer to the Earth-orbiting Starlink network built by Musk's company, SpaceX. [1][2][4]

The Guardian reported that Russia plans to build its own satellite communications system, named Rassvet, to assist its military operations against Ukraine. According to RTE, Starlink has been used by Ukraine's military throughout the war with Russia as a key component of battlefield communications and drone operations. [2][4]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, speed limits were previously placed on Starlink satellite terminals in Ukraine, which disrupted Ukrainian military drone missions along the front line. The Daily Express reported that reports, which SpaceX disputed, suggested Ukraine's Starlink access had been restricted. [5][16][17]

BBC News reported that Putin said he is in close contact with Musk. Bloomberg also reported that Russia coordinates with the billionaire regarding satellites. [6][11]