Putin Praises Musk as Starlink's 13,000 Satellites Dwarf Rassvet

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that he is in "close" contact with Elon Musk over satellite technology, calling the SpaceX founder a "real genius," according to a translation of his remarks published by the BBC.

Putin made the comments in Moscow during the Russia-Africa Summit, where he discussed Rassvet, Russia's own satellite internet project, the BBC reported.

What did Putin say about Musk?

"He's a genius, a real genius," Putin said, per the BBC's translation. "We are in close contact with our American partners, including Mr. Musk." Putin said staying in touch with Musk matters so that Rassvet satellites and SpaceX's Starlink satellites "do not interfere with each other in orbit." SpaceX did not respond to a BBC request for comment.

How do the two satellite networks compare?

The scale gap between the two systems is wide, based on figures in the BBC report:

• Starlink: roughly 13,000 satellites launched, according to the company.
• Rassvet: only a couple of dozen satellites currently in orbit, according to online satellite trackers cited by the BBC.

The Russian Embassy in South Africa said Wednesday that Rassvet is "Russia's Starlink alternative" but acknowledged it "marks only the country's first steps in this field," the BBC reported.

Why does Russia say it needs to coordinate with SpaceX?

Putin framed the contact with Musk as a technical necessity tied to orbital traffic, not a political gesture. "We and our American partners value this mutually, and despite all the political questions, we are working hard," he said, according to the BBC. The embassy statement echoed that message, describing ongoing U.S.-Russia contact on space issues that includes Musk directly.

What happened with Starlink and Ukraine?

The comments land as Ukraine's military last week suddenly lost Starlink connectivity, something Musk has admitted SpaceX did on purpose, the BBC reported. Ukraine has relied on Starlink to keep communications running against Russian forces since the full-scale invasion nearly five years ago.

What else is changing between Washington and Moscow?

The satellite remarks follow other recent moves the BBC tied to a broader thaw. President Donald Trump said earlier this month he had struck a deal with Russia to import diesel to ease gas prices, which the BBC said had risen amid the U.S. conflict with Iran. Trump also waived certain Russia sanctions set to take effect, and a U.S. citizen was released from Russian custody soon after, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff calling Putin a "humanitarian," according to the BBC.

Musk, born in South Africa before settling in the U.S., runs Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink from operations based mainly in California and Texas. He has been a major financial and political backer of Trump and other Republican officials, the BBC noted.

Glossary

• Starlink: SpaceX's satellite internet service, built from roughly 13,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, per the company.
• Rassvet: Russia's state-backed satellite internet project, with a couple of dozen satellites currently in orbit, according to trackers cited by the BBC.
• Low Earth orbit coordination: the process operators use to avoid satellite collisions when multiple networks share the same orbital space.