Russia develops analogue Starlink, keeps in touch with Elon Musk President Putin stated that Russia is proud of its work on a domestic satellite communication system. Project Dawn represents the first steps in the development of Russian low-orbit constellations. Putin described Elon Musk as a "genius" and confirmed his continued interaction with him despite political problems. He noted that while Musk has more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, Russia is just getting started. Both sides value mutual discipline to avoid interference in space.