Putin Praises Musk’s ‘Genius’: Russia Plans Its Own Satellite Constellation

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Putin Praises Musk’s ‘Genius’: Russia Plans Its Own Satellite Constellation.

On October 28, 2026, Vladimir Putin said in Moscow that he was in contact with Starlink’s controlling shareholder. At the same time, he praised Elon Musk as a “genius.” The announcement is particularly relevant to Ukraine because Russia is simultaneously developing its own satellite communications system for the war against its neighboring country.

The Kremlin is thus publicly showing interest in SpaceX’s technology without presenting the Starlink network itself as a Russian system. Instead, Putin directly compares Russia’s own plans with the orbital network built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The key message lies less in Putin’s personal praise than in the clear framing: the planned Russian system is intended not only for general communications, but for military purposes in the war against Ukraine.

What Putin Said About Musk and Starlink in Moscow

The “genius” Elon Musk

At a summit in Moscow attended by African leaders, Putin explicitly praised Musk’s technical achievements. The Kremlin chief was thereby speaking publicly about the entrepreneur whose SpaceX operates the Starlink satellite network.

“Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk’s genius and said he was in contact with Starlink’s controlling shareholder.”

It was also reported that Putin compared the orbital Starlink network with Russia’s gradual efforts to develop its own system. According to him, there is contact with Starlink’s controlling shareholder. The source provides no further details about the content or scope of these contacts.

Why Russia Is Building “Rassvet” for the War Against Ukraine

An independent satellite communications system

According to The Guardian, Russia plans to build a constellation named “Rassvet.” It is intended to provide satellite communications that the Moscow military can use against Ukraine.

Moscow is thus pursuing an independent path alongside the existing Starlink system. The fact that the system is expressly intended for military purposes against Ukraine elevates the announcement well beyond a general plan to expand internet access.

The report does not indicate how quickly “Rassvet” is expected to be operational or how capable it will be compared with Starlink. The source also gives no specific information about satellites already launched, a production rate or an officially announced deployment date.

The Comparison With SpaceX Highlights the Political Ambition

A national system as the counterpart to the US project

Putin explicitly placed “Rassvet” alongside the orbital communications network built by SpaceX. The comparison makes clear that Russia is not merely planning individual satellites or limited communications services, but wants to build its own constellation as strategic infrastructure.

For Ukraine, the practical significance of these plans is the prospect of military communications systems that do not depend on Starlink’s controlling shareholder. How well the new network will ultimately function and how it will be deployed remain unclear in the available reporting.

What Is Still Unknown About the Equipment and Timeline

No details on capacity or launch date

The report names “Rassvet,” identifies the military objective and notes Putin’s comparison with Starlink. However, it provides no reliable information about the technical equipment, the number of planned satellites or an exact launch date.

A realistic assessment therefore requires keeping the following in mind: Moscow has announced its own satellite communications system for use against Ukraine and has praised both the person and the technology of the US company SpaceX. The source does not yet provide information about the project’s actual scope and current status.