Putin Calls Musk a Genius and Speaks of Communication with Washington in Space

Russian President Vladimir Putin described Elon Musk as a "true genius," stating that Moscow is in close contact with American partners, including Musk, on space matters, during a visit to an exhibition at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.

Putin added that Russia is working on developing an alternative to the Starlink network, noting that Roscosmos and other companies are participating in this effort. His remarks come days after Ukraine restored the operation of the Starlink and Starshield networks at full speed.

The speed of Starshield terminals in Ukraine had been temporarily reduced to 160 kilometers per hour since October 14, which hindered the ability of Ukrainian drone interceptors to shoot down Russian drones.

Neither Moscow nor the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump claimed responsibility for the speed reduction, and both sides exchanged accusations. Musk accused Ukraine of violating terms of service by using commercial terminals in attacks, while Kyiv denied this, saying it uses Starshield only inside its territory.

What do these terms mean?

Starlink: A satellite internet network provided by SpaceX via thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit.

Starshield: A military version of the Starlink network used by Ukrainian forces for communications and combat operations.

Roscosmos: The Russian state space agency responsible for satellite and launch programs.