Vladimir Putin Claims Elon Musk Ties

What happened

Updated Oct 28, 7:18pm ET

Vladimir Putin said Russia was in close contact with Elon Musk to avoid interference between their satellite networks. Putin praised Musk as a “real genius” and said the contacts also involved other U.S. partners. The remark landed after mid-October restrictions on Ukraine’s Starlink and Starshield service impaired drone missions and air defenses for about 10 days. Ukraine later said the service had returned to usable speeds. Ukraine uses the SpaceX systems for battlefield communications, drones and air defense, while Russia is building Rassvet, a rival network with more than 30 satellites. SpaceX has roughly 10,000. European firms are now exploring Ukrainian sovereign satellite communications, with initial launches expected in 2028.

How the left told it

Left-leaning outlets framed the story around Musk’s leverage over Ukraine’s defenses and Putin’s praise of him as strategically loaded. The Guardian emphasized that the limits hampered Ukrainian drone attacks and anti-drone defenses, while casting Putin’s praise as an effort to flatter Musk. MEDIAite focused on power and accountability, saying Musk and Trump each avoided owning the restrictions.

How the right told it

Only one right-leaning outlet we track covered this: ZeroHedge, under the headline “Putin Calls Musk A "Real Genius," Says Russia Coordinating With Him In On Satellites”.