Vladimir Putin says Russia must "to move from quality to quantity" in its satellite push

On Wednesday at a Moscow summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk while hearing Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev discuss Russia’s satellite-internet effort. Shadayev said Moscow had launched more than 30 satellites for a Starlink-style network; he credited Musk with over 5,000 low-orbit satellites, though independent tracker Orbital Radar put the figure near 10,000. Putin said Russia was in an early phase and called for the effort to grow beyond its initial stage. He added that Moscow is in contact with U.S. partners, including Musk, to avoid orbital interference and maintain order. Ukraine’s military relies on Starlink and Starshield in the war; Ukraine recently reported speed limits that hindered drone interception and canceled operations, later said service was restored, while Musk accused Ukrainian forces of violating SpaceX terms. Neither Musk nor the U.S. government accepted responsibility for the curbs.