Russian President Vladimir Putin characterized Elon Musk as a “real genius” during the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on Wednesday, according to BBC translation of his remarks. Putin disclosed that he and the SpaceX founder are in “close” contact concerning satellite technology matters.
The Russian leader stated that maintaining communication with Musk was essential to ensure that Rassvet, Russia’s homegrown satellite internet initiative, and Starlink do not “interfere with each other in orbit.” Putin emphasized that both Russia and American partners, including Musk, valued this coordination despite broader geopolitical tensions. The Russian Embassy in South Africa subsequently characterized Rassvet as “Russia’s Starlink alternative” and noted that Moscow maintains regular contact with the United States on space matters, specifically including communications with Musk.
Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, currently has approximately 13,000 satellites in orbit, whereas Rassvet maintains only a few dozen satellites according to online tracking data. The Russian Embassy described Rassvet as representing “only the country’s first steps” in the satellite internet field.
Putin’s comments occurred amid a broader warming of US-Russia relations, despite ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Ukraine had previously depended on Starlink connectivity for military operations, though SpaceX intentionally restricted Starlink service to Ukrainian forces last week. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced a diesel import deal with Russia and waived certain sanctions set to take effect. Additionally, a US citizen was released from Russian custody during this period of improved diplomatic engagement.
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