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Putin praises Elon Musk as a 'real genius' as Russia develops Starlink alternative

Russian President Vladimir Putin called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk a 'genius' at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow and said Russia is in close contact with U.S. partners, including Musk, on Rassvet, a low-Earth-orbit satellite internet constellation being built by Bureau 1440. Putin noted that Musk already has more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, while Russia is only taking its first steps. Starlink operates more than 11,000 satellites and serves customers in 174 countries. The article also covers Ukraine's accusation that SpaceX and Musk restricted the Starshield service, degrading connectivity for drones and other moving terminals above roughly 100 miles per hour, which Zelenskyy said disrupted its air defenses. Musk said Ukraine breached Starlink's terms of service, a claim Ukraine denies.

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Original headline: Putin praises Elon Musk as a ‘real genius’ as Russia develops Starlink alternative

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