Putin praises Musk as Russia races to build Starlink rival
What's new: Putin said Moscow is in contact with Musk as Russia has launched more than 30 satellites for its Rassvet network.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk as a "real genius" while acknowledging Russia is only at an early stage of building its own satellite internet system to rival Starlink. Speaking at a summit in Moscow, Putin said Russia had launched more than 30 satellites for the Rassvet project and was working with US counterparts, including Musk, to avoid interference in orbit. The comments underscored how far Russia trails SpaceX, whose Starlink network numbers in the thousands of low-orbit satellites. The system has been central to Ukraine's battlefield communications and drone operations during the war, making Moscow's effort both a technology push and a strategic one.