President Vladimir Putin has praised SpaceX chief Elon Musk as a real genius while announcing Russia's efforts to develop its own low-Earth-orbit satellite communications system. Speaking at a summit with African leaders in Moscow, Putin acknowledged that Russia is in the early stages of rolling out its answer to the Starlink internet system.
The Russian project, known as the Rassvet constellation, is being developed for military use to assist in attacks against Ukraine. The system aims to replicate the capabilities of the satellite network built by Musk's SpaceX.
Despite existing political tensions between Moscow and Washington, Putin stated that he is in close contact with Musk. He further claimed that Russia is coordinating on low-Earth-orbit satellite networks with the billionaire and other US partners.