Putin calls Elon Musk a genius
The gist
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Elon Musk a "genius" and praised Starlink at a Moscow tech exhibition.
Russia is building its own satellite network and coordinates with Musk on orbit.
How it unfolded
- Oct 28, 2026Speaking at a technology exhibition on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Putin called Musk a "genius" and "a real genius" while praising Starlink.
- Oct 28, 2026Putin said Musk has more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, while Russia is "only taking our first steps" and is proud it began building its own network independently.
- Oct 28, 2026Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev presented Russia's own satellite system, Rassvet, and said Russia had already launched 30 satellites.