Building a Starlink Rival, Putin Seeks Elon Musk’s Input
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly sought Elon Musk’s input on developing a satellite internet service that could rival SpaceX’s Starlink.
Putin publicly praised Musk as a genius as Russia began building the satellite internet system. He also confirmed that Moscow was maintaining contact with Musk and US partners as it developed the Starlink competitor.
Putin made the remarks while listening to a briefing by Russia’s Minister of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev. Shadayev said Russia had launched more than 30 satellites to build a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) internet system comparable to Starlink.
“Wait a moment, I want to make clear that this is only our first step. Elon Musk is a genius, he really is a genius,” Putin said, according to Reuters on Thursday (29 October 2026).
Putin nevertheless acknowledged that Russia still lagged far behind Starlink, which is operated by Musk’s space company, SpaceX.
Shadayev said Musk currently had more than 5,000 satellites in low orbit. Independent monitoring data from Orbital Radar, however, put the actual number at close to 10,000.
“They have more than 5,000 satellites, while we have only just taken our first steps. But we are proud to have started this project and to be doing it independently,” Putin said.
He said Russia’s next main challenge was to scale up satellite production and launches. “Our task now is to move from focusing on quality to focusing on quantity,” Putin said.
Putin added that Russia was in close communication with US partners, including Musk, to ensure satellite constellations in space did not collide or cause technical interference.
“We are in close contact with our American partners, including Mr Musk, because it is very important that satellites in orbit do not interfere with one another, and that a certain level of discipline and order is maintained,” he added.
Starlink’s vital role in the Russia-Ukraine war
Russia’s satellite internet project is being developed as Starlink plays a crucial role in the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine’s military relies heavily on the network, including Starshield, a Starlink variant designed for military use, to support battlefield communications and drone operations.
Ukraine had complained of Starlink access being throttled in early October. The disruption hampered Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russian drone attacks and forced it to cancel several strategic military operations.
The technical issue further strained diplomatic relations between Kyiv and Washington, particularly after US President Donald Trump announced an agreement to buy oil and energy from Russia. Trump also urged Kyiv to stop attacking Russian oil refineries and said it was time for Ukraine to change its national leadership.
Over the previous weekend, the Ukrainian government confirmed that Starlink and Starshield services were fully operational again. Musk, however, accused the Ukrainian military of breaching SpaceX’s terms of service. Musk and the US government—which operates the Starshield network using Starlink technology—denied responsibility for the throttling.
Moscow’s interest in working with Musk is not new. In 2025, Kirill Dmitriev, President Putin’s special envoy for investment, publicly expressed Russia’s interest in collaborating with Musk on a mission to explore Mars.