Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised US entrepreneur Elon Musk as a “real genius” while hailing the launch of Russia’s Starlink rival, Rassvet.
Putin made the remarks on Wednesday while touring an exhibition of Russian technological innovations, where Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev briefed him on Rassvet (“Dawn”), a domestically developed satellite internet system designed to compete with Musk’s SpaceX network.
“Elon Musk is a genius, a real genius,” Putin said, noting that the American entrepreneur has more than 5,000 satellites in orbit.
Russia was “proud” to have begun building its own satellite network “independently,” he added.
Moscow also maintains “close contact with American partners,” including Musk, to prevent interference between satellites, according to the Russian president.
Both sides value this cooperation and continue working closely despite political issues, with Russia’s space agency Roscosmos and other companies involved, he said.
According to Shadayev, the Rassvet constellation already has more than 30 satellites in orbit.
Developed by Russian aerospace company Bureau 1440, part of IKS Holding, the network began with experimental satellite launches in 2023 and 2024. Another 32 spacecraft were launched in 2026, with plans to expand the constellation to 292 satellites by the end of 2027 and around 900 by 2035.
“We have only taken the first step. But what matters is that it has been taken,” Putin said. “Now we need to move from quality to quantity,” he added.