Putin Praises Musk's 'Genius' Amid Russian Plans for Starlink-Like Network

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lauded Elon Musk's "genius" and indicated that Russia is developing its own satellite communications system, inspired by SpaceX's Starlink, to aid its military operations in Ukraine. Putin stated he was in contact with Starlink's controlling shareholder as Russia works on its own version of the Earth-orbiting network.

This development follows recent accusations by Elon Musk that Ukraine's military violated Starlink's terms of service by using the network for offensive drone strikes, which he claims led to intentional restrictions on its use. Ukrainian officials have denied these claims, asserting that the military has only used Starlink for defensive purposes and that any service disruptions were not due to misuse. Ukraine has reported that its Starlink connection has since been restored to stable and normal speeds.