Vladimir Putin has heaped praise on tech tycoon Elon Musk with a glowing comparison to a hero of the Soviet space age.
The Russian premier, speaking to students at a meeting to discuss his country's next ventures to the stars, hailed Musk as an "incredible" modern visionary - and likened him to Sergei Korolev, the mastermind behind the USSR's space programme.
State-run news agency Tass quoted Putin as saying: "You know, there's a person who lives in the States... You could say that he's absolutely crazy about Mars."
He then drew parallels between Musk and Korolev, an engineer who was instrumental in the Soviet Union's success in sending Yuri Gagarin on the world's first crewed spaceflight in 1961.
Putin hailed Musk as an 'incredible' modern visionary
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'Such people rarely appear in the human population, charged with a certain idea,' beamed Putin
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The Russian President added: "Such people rarely appear in the human population, charged with a certain idea.
"Even though it may seem incredible to me today, after a time, such ideas are often realised."
Putin has previously praised Musk - who alongside his allyship with Donald Trump, runs the SpaceX space technology firm - as "an outstanding person".
Last September, Musk revealed he refused a Ukrainian request in 2023 to activate his Starlink satellite network in Crimea's port city of Sevastopol to aid an attack on Russia's fleet there.
Then just days later, Putin said: "As far as private business and Elon Musk is concerned... he is undoubtedly an outstanding person.
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PICTURED: Soviet space programme boss Sergei Korolev (inset right), pictured left with first man in space Yuri Gagarin
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"This must be recognised, and I think it is recognised all over the world.
"He is an active and talented businessman and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state."
Putin's praise of Musk this week comes mere days after a breakthrough for US-Russia space cooperation - when a Russian spacecraft safely delivered American astronaut Jonathan Kim and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station.
When the hatches were opened and Russia's Soyuz 2.1a rocket docked with the ISS, Kim and the Russians were seen smiling and hugging their companions on the station, which now has 10 people on board.
That 10-astronaut team now comprises four Nasa astronauts, five Russians and Japanese spaceman Takuya Onishi.
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PICTURED: Russia's Soyuz 2.1a rocket blasts off to head to the ISS
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"Throughout his eight-month stay aboard the orbital outpost, Kim will conduct scientific research in technology development, Earth science, biology, human research, and more," Nasa said in a statement.
President Vladimir Putin's investment envoy on Tuesday hailed US-Russia space cooperation after the rocket blasted off.
Kirill Dmitriev, who is trying to spur a reset in ties between the two Cold War superpowers and held talks in Washington last week, said Tuesday's launch was the latest example of an enduring relationship which traced its history back to 1975.
Dmitriev also hinted that Moscow could supply a small nuclear power plant for a mission to Mars planned by none other than Elon Musk.
