Putin Calls Musk a 'Real Genius,' Says Russia Is in 'Close Contact' With Him on Satellites

Since Ukraine's commercial Starlink and military Starshield terminals were restricted on Oct. 14, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 24 that speeds were back where the army needs them, the dispute has picked up an unexpected new voice: Vladimir Putin.

Speaking Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Putin called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk "a genius, a real genius." He said Russia is "in close contact with our American partners, including Mr. Musk, because it is very important, in orbit, not to get in each other's way and to maintain a certain level of discipline and order."

He added that "both we and our American partners value this mutually, and despite all the political questions, we are working hard."

Russia's Starlink rival is small

The remarks came as Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev briefed Putin on Rassvet, a Russian satellite constellation meant to rival Starlink and serve the military in Ukraine. Shadayev said Russia has launched more than 30 satellites. Satellite trackers cited by the BBC count only a couple of dozen Rassvet satellites in orbit, and The Guardian puts the estimate of working satellites at 26.

Starlink is far larger. Putin himself said Musk has "more than 5,000" satellites up. The independent tracker Orbital Radar puts the fleet near 10,000, and SpaceX says it has launched roughly 13,000.

"We are only taking our first steps," Putin said. He stressed that Russia began the work on its own. The Russian Embassy in South Africa described Rassvet as "Russia's Starlink alternative" and said Russia "maintains close contacts with the US on space, including with Elon Musk."

Starlink does not work in Russia, and Russian forces' use of it inside Ukraine was restricted earlier this year.

What happened to Ukraine's service

Ukrainian officials began reporting problems with fast-moving terminals on Oct. 14. The restrictions hampered the interceptor drones Ukraine uses against Russia's jet-powered Shahed munitions, and Ukrainian forces cancelled some operations.

Musk said on X that the Ukrainian military "violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people," and that the "loophole was closed last week." He also wrote that "Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine" and that were it turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately, which he called "NOT a threat" but "simply a statement of fact."

The U.S. government, which operates Starshield using Starlink technology, has not taken responsibility for the speed limits. Trump has declined to confirm reports that he called Musk and asked him to lift them. The Moscow Times reported that service was restored following a reported request from Trump.

Zelensky confirmed the restoration on Saturday, saying "the speeds are now where they need to be." He said Tuesday that civilians died while the services were switched off. He has also said he feels betrayed by both Musk and Trump, according to ZeroHedge.

Moscow-Washington contacts

Putin's comments land amid a string of U.S.-Russia contacts. Earlier this month Trump said he had struck a deal to import Russian diesel to ease fuel prices, which the BBC attributes to the U.S. war with Iran. Trump then waived certain sanctions on Russia that were set to take effect. A U.S. citizen was later released from Russian custody, and envoy Steve Witkoff called Putin a "humanitarian."

Putin's public call for orbital coordination also follows an accusation from U.S. diplomats last week. They said a Russian military satellite maneuvered close to a U.S.-registered, Finnish-operated radar satellite that supplies intelligence to Ukraine, behavior they called "deliberately reckless." Russia dismissed the claim as "absurd."

Putin has previously compared Musk to Soviet rocket designer Sergei Korolev. His envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has also praised Musk, proposed joint SpaceX and Roscosmos work on Mars exploration.

What Musk and SpaceX have said

SpaceX did not respond to the BBC's request for comment on Putin's statement. Musk has not publicly addressed the claim of close contact.

Coordination between satellite operators to avoid interference is the context Putin himself gave for the contacts: it is important, he said, "not to get in each other's way." He did not describe any discussion of Ukraine.

The New Republic raised the question of how much Musk, who holds billions in federal contracts, shares with Putin. That is a question, not a finding. Musk and Putin have been in communication since at least 2021, and Russia sarcastically offered Musk asylum last year during his feud with Trump, according to the same outlet.

Musk has grown increasingly critical of Ukraine and insists Kyiv must sign a peace deal with Moscow, the Moscow Times reports.

What comes next

The next pressure point is diplomatic. Zelensky said Wednesday he hopes proposed trilateral talks among Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. will take place between 6 and 10 November in Abu Dhabi, shortly after the U.S. midterm elections next Tuesday. "We are waiting for the American side," he said. "I think that they'll be ready with all the answers after the elections."