Putin says Russia is in close contact with Elon Musk over satellite networks
At a Moscow summit, Putin praised Musk and said contact with US partners mattered as Russia develops its Rassvet satellite internet system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on 28 October that Russia was in close contact with US partners, including Elon Musk, as it develops a satellite internet network, BBC News reported. Putin said the contact mattered because Russian and Starlink satellites must avoid interfering with each other in orbit.
Putin called Musk a ‘real genius’, according to BBC News. The Guardian quoted him saying Russia was in close contact with American partners, including Musk, to maintain ‘discipline and order’ in orbit. It was not immediately clear whether Putin and Musk had spoken directly or whether the contact involved any new agreement with SpaceX. SpaceX did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
How Russia’s Rassvet project compares with Starlink
Russia’s project, Rassvet, is intended to provide internet connections through satellites. The Guardian described Putin’s remarks as a comparison between the network built by Musk’s SpaceX and Russia’s gradual effort to establish its own constellation. The Russian Embassy in South Africa called Rassvet ‘Russia’s Starlink alternative’ and said it marked the country’s first steps in the field, BBC News reported.
The networks differ substantially in scale. BBC News said online satellite trackers showed only a couple of dozen Rassvet satellites in orbit, while SpaceX said it had launched roughly 13,000 Starlink satellites. Putin cited more than 5,000 satellites for Musk’s network, according to The Guardian. The figures describe the fleets differently and do not give a direct comparison of active satellites.
Why satellite access matters to Ukraine
Satellite access has consequences for Ukraine’s military during Russia’s invasion. The Guardian reported that restrictions affecting Starshield, a military version of Starlink, disrupted some Ukrainian drone attacks and air defences in October. BBC News reported connectivity problems for Ukrainian forces and said Musk acknowledged that SpaceX had imposed restrictions intentionally. The Guardian later reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield operations had been restored and speeds were adequate; whether that resolves the issue permanently remains unclear.
The Guardian reported that Starlink does not work in Russia and that Russian use of the service inside Ukraine had been restricted earlier this year. Putin framed his contact with American partners around preventing interference between satellite networks as Russia develops Rassvet.
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Sources and context
- Elon Musk a 'real genius', Putin says after talks with SpaceX bossBBC News
- Putin hails Elon Musk’s ‘genius’ amid plans for Russian version of StarlinkThe Guardian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.