Putin praises Musk as Russia develops military communications system

Ukraine reports restored speeds after about 10 days of limits

At a summit with African leaders in Moscow on October 28, Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk’s satellite communications work as Russia develops the Rassvet constellation for military use in Ukraine, The Guardian reported, citing Tass. Putin said Russia was in close contact with American partners, including Musk, to avoid interference between systems in orbit and maintain discipline. The comments came as Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield operations had been restored after about 10 days of restrictions.

The Guardian quoted Putin calling Musk “a genius, a true genius.” He asked: “How many of these [satellites] does he have in orbit? More than 5,000, and we’re only taking the first steps.” The Guardian said the true number of active SpaceX satellites was estimated at about 10,000. Starlink provides high-speed internet service and has been at the center of a diplomatic row among Musk, the US and Ukraine.

Russia’s gradual effort to build the Rassvet constellation has produced an estimated 26 working satellites, leaving its capacity limited. Starlink does not work in Russia, and its use by Russia inside Ukraine was restricted earlier this year. The developing Russian system is intended for the country’s military to use against Ukraine.

In the middle of October, Starshield, a military version of Starlink, was restricted overnight. The Guardian said the restriction prevented Ukraine from conducting medium drone attacks and hampered some of its anti-drone air defenses. Elon Musk initially denied ordering a throttling of the internet connection. Later last week, he said he had closed a loophole allowing civilian Starlink to be used by the military.

The Guardian described Musk as a controlling shareholder in Starlink and an ally of President Donald Trump. It said Musk’s control of the communications technology had raised questions about his leverage over the White House and his ability to affect Ukraine’s war effort.

Putin said: “We are in close contact with our American partners – including Mr Musk – because it is very important, in orbit, not to get in each other’s way and to maintain a certain level of discipline and order.”

Last week, after about 10 days of restrictions, Zelenskyy announced that “Starlink and Starshield operations have been restored.” He said the speeds were “now where they need to be.” The Guardian reported that few people believed the issue was permanently settled and described relations between Zelenskyy and Trump as fraught in the run-up to the US midterm elections next Tuesday.

The Guardian also said Trump had reached out to Putin early in October and agreed to buy diesel from Moscow in an effort to reduce the oil price before Americans went to the polls.

Zelenskyy said he hoped proposed trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the US would take place between November 6 and November 10 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, shortly after the midterms. Speaking at a press conference in The Hague with Dutch prime minister Rob Jetten, he said: “We are waiting for the American side. I think that they’ll be ready with all the answers after the elections.”

Earlier, Zelenskyy said he had spoken with UK prime minister Andy Burnham as Britain prepared to provide £10bn in additional financing for Ukraine over the next three years, and an immediate £500m for air-defense systems. He called the aid “a truly strong and very timely step” and said it came “as Russia needs to see and feel that Ukraine will not be left alone” as the war headed toward what was expected to be its most difficult winter.

UK chancellor John Healey announced the additional funding as part of the government’s annual budget. He said he and the prime minister had called Zelenskyy to deliver the commitment; Zelenskyy replied, “You’ve made my day.”

The Dutch government also said it would provide €500m in military support for the winter and a further €1.2bn in non-military aid, partly to fund urgent repairs to Ukraine’s utilities and manufacturing.

The Guardian said Kyiv had been relentlessly attacked by Moscow this autumn while Russian forces failed to make progress on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine. Zelenskyy said overnight that Russia had launched more than 100 ballistic missiles against Kyiv and the surrounding region since the middle of October. The Guardian said the strikes hit power plants and other key targets in an effort to cause a humanitarian crisis in the capital.