Orbital Rivals: Putin Commends Musk While Russia Expands Military Satellites

Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk’s engineering capabilities during a summit with African leaders in Moscow on Tuesday. The Russian president called Musk a true genius while discussing the gap between SpaceX’s Starlink network and Russia’s own satellite projects.

According to the Tass news agency, Putin noted that Musk has more than 5,000 satellites in orbit. He admitted that Russia is only taking the first steps in its own development. Estimates suggest SpaceX currently operates around 10,000 active satellites, a network that has become central to recent diplomatic tensions.

The Starlink system has been a point of contention between the United States, Ukraine, and Musk’s company. In mid-October, a military version of the service called Starshield was restricted for several days. This interruption prevented Ukraine from launching medium drone attacks and weakened its anti-drone air defenses.

Musk initially denied ordering the reduction in service. By the end of the following week, he explained that he had closed a loophole allowing the military to use the civilian network. Zelenskyy announced that operations were restored last week, stating that speeds had returned to necessary levels.

Putin said Russia is in close contact with American partners, including Musk. He emphasized the need to maintain discipline in orbit to avoid interference. Moscow is developing its own system called Rassvet, which currently has an estimated 26 working satellites. This limited capacity means Russia’s network is not yet a full rival to Starlink.

The diplomatic situation remains tense as the United States approaches its midterm elections next Tuesday. Trump has sought to lower oil prices by agreeing to buy diesel from Moscow. Zelenskyy hopes that trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States will occur between November 6 and 10 in Abu Dhabi.

At a press conference in The Hague on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he is waiting for the American side to be ready after the elections. He also discussed new financial commitments from European allies. The United Kingdom announced it would provide £10 billion in extra financing for Ukraine over the next three years, along with an immediate £500 million for air defense systems.

UK Chancellor John Healey stated that he and the prime minister called Zelenskyy to discuss the budget commitments. The Dutch government also pledged €500 million in military support for the winter and €1.2 billion in non-military aid. Zelenskyy said Russia has launched more than 100 ballistic missiles at Kyiv since mid-October, targeting power plants and other key infrastructure.