Russian President Vladimir Putin praised American billionaire Elon Musk, describing him as a “genius,” and revealed that he is in contact with him, at a time when Russia is working to develop an alternative to the “Starlink” satellite Internet service, owned by Musk, according to the Independent newspaper.
Putin's statements came after Ukraine, which relies on a version of the "Starlink" service as an essential element in operating drones and communications on the battlefield, complained about imposing restrictions on the speed of the service, which hindered its ability to intercept Russian offensive drones, and led to the cancellation of some operations.
Among the companies he manages, Musk owns the American “SpaceX” group, which launches rockets for the US Space Agency (NASA) and develops the “Starlink” communications network.
During a presentation by one of the ministers, in which he referred to Russia’s launch of 30 satellites, Putin interrupted him, saying: “One moment, please, I would like to clarify that this is just our first step. “Elon Musk is a genius, he really is a genius.”
Putin's statements come against the backdrop of a growing dispute between Ukraine and the United States over access to the "Starshield" military-use communications network operated by SpaceX, owned by Musk.
Ukraine began complaining about problems in using Starshield earlier this month, after a dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his American counterpart Donald Trump over a US-Russian agreement on diesel.
Meanwhile, Moscow witnessed a series of drone attacks during the night, according to what was announced by the mayor of the Russian capital, which prompted the authorities to impose temporary restrictions on air traffic at the airports of Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky, which serve the capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian forces shot down most of the drones that were heading towards the capital during the night.
In another context, the local ceasefire in southern Ukraine, which was reached with American mediation, held for the second day in a row, on Wednesday, at a time when about two thousand people were still stranded in the city of Oleshki.
Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lobinets said: “30 hours have passed since the start of the ceasefire in Oleshki without a single incident being recorded.”
Kremlin Foreign Affairs Advisor Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that the date of the next round of tripartite talks on settling the Ukraine war is linked to the conflict in the Middle East, casting doubt on whether the talks will be held next month as initially proposed.
According to Russian news agencies, Ushakov said that Moscow has not yet proposed a specific date for the talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that he hopes to hold the meeting in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 10.
“It will also depend on the situation on the battlefield and the general situation,” Ushakov said, referring to the regional repercussions of the US-Israeli war on Iran. You can see the current situation in the Middle East. It simply does not allow us to hold it in the near future. This is my appreciation.
Ushakov also said that there were no discussions about the participation of European negotiators in the next round of talks. The leaders of Britain, Germany and France said a few days ago that Europe would play a role in the US-brokered talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky about reaching a ceasefire.
The reports quoted Ushakov as saying, “There is no talk at all about this matter... What we have now is an agreement to resume tripartite consultations with representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that American billionaire Elon Musk, who placed thousands of satellites in Earth's orbit, is "truly a genius," while Moscow seeks to develop its own satellite Internet network.
Among the companies he manages, Musk owns the American “SpaceX” group, which launches rockets for the US Space Agency (NASA) and develops the “Starlink” communications network.
Russia, the prominent space power, has long sought to develop its own satellite Internet network, for use at both the military and civilian levels.
Putin's statements come against the backdrop of a growing dispute between Ukraine and the United States over access to the "Starshield" military communications network operated by SpaceX, owned by Musk.
Putin said during a visit to an exhibition on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, “Elon Musk is a genius, he is truly a genius.”
He asked, “How many units does it have in orbit?” More than 5,000, and we are still in our first steps.”
He added, "We are in close contact with our American partners, including Mr. Musk, because it is necessary in orbit that we do not interfere with each other."
Ukraine complained of problems with the use of “Starshield” earlier this month, after a dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, over a US-Russian agreement on diesel.
Both Musk and Trump denied causing network malfunctions. Musk later accused Ukraine of distorting the use of the Starlink service for military purposes.
For its part, Ukraine says that these malfunctions have undermined efforts to confront the Russian marches and paralyzed the logistical chain along the front, as the Ukrainian-Russian conflict enters its fifth year.
