Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Elon Musk a "real genius" following reports that his company restricted Ukraine's internet access a fortnight ago. The disruption left Ukraine exposed to attacks from the Kremlin, amid reports Mr Musk authorised the reduction of a military-grade Starlink service, Starshield, which Ukraine depends on.
Putin's remarks at Russia-Africa Summit
Addressing the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on Wednesday, October 29, Mr Putin remarked, "Elon Musk is a genius, a real genius. How many of these [low-orbit satellites] does he have in orbit? More than 5,000, and we're only taking the first steps."
He added, "We are in close contact with our American partners, including Musk, because it is very important, in orbit, not to get in each other's way and to maintain a certain level of discipline and order."
Disruption and blame game
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a fortnight ago US President Donald Trump and his associate Mr Musk deliberately shut down Ukraine's Starlink access overnight as the military experienced speed reductions. Kyiv immediately suspected the directive originated either from Mr Trump or Mr Musk.
Starlink delivers high-speed broadband worldwide and is utilised by Ukraine for its military communications and drone operations in the conflict with Russia. Mr Musk and the White House have blamed each other for the internet slowdown, which came after multiple statements by the Trump administration and the SpaceX chief that Ukrainian officials perceived as antagonistic towards the nation.
Mr Musk pointed the finger at the US President, posting on X: "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and POTUS." Nevertheless, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Mr Musk restricted the speeds at which Ukrainian equipment could maintain connection to the satellite-based network.
Musk's defense and restoration
Mr Musk has additionally claimed the Ukrainian military breached SpaceX's terms. He said in a post on X, which he also controls: "Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Ukraine['s] military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week."
The world's wealthiest man has yet to respond to Mr Putin's remarks. During the weekend, Ukraine confirmed Starlink and Starshield were once more fully operational.
