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President Zelensky confirms more Starlink shipments for Ukraine, invites Elon Musk to visit after the war

Credit: @zelenskiy_official/Instagram

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It appears that SpaceX is only getting started with its efforts in helping keep Ukraine connected to the internet despite the ongoing Russian invasion. In a recent announcement, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Elon Musk has pledged to send another batch of Starlink satellite terminals to the country, which would then be deployed in cities that have been damaged by the conflict. 

Despite the grim circumstances of Starlink’s upcoming deployment in Ukraine, Zelensky shared some optimism in his announcement, stating that he and Musk also talked about “possible space projects” that can be pursued after the war. The Ukrainian President further highlighted that he is personally grateful to Musk for “supporting Ukraine with words and deeds.”

“Talked to Elon Musk. I’m grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds. Next week we will receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities. Discussed possible space projects. But I’ll talk about this after the war,” Zelensky posted on his personal Twitter account. 

The Ukraine president shared a brief clip of his conversation with the SpaceX CEO on his official Instagram page. The clip was only a few seconds long, but it clearly showed Musk and Zelensky speaking with each other on Zoom. The President was animated in the conversation, even inviting Elon Musk to visit Ukraine after the war is over. 

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“If you have time after the war, you are very welcome. I invite you,” Zelensky said. Musk responded that the President’s invitation “sounds good.” “I look forward to visiting,” Musk replied. 

Elon Musk’s involvement in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict began after Ukraine Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov asked the CEO if he could send Starlink terminals to the besieged country. Musk responded by sending over a truckload of Starlink terminals to Ukraine, which the official stated were pivotal in saving a lot of lives. Prior to the arrival of Starlink terminals in the country, Ukraine’s internet connection was seemingly being disrupted. 

Musk’s Starlink donation to Ukraine was not appreciated by Russian space agency head Dmitry Rogozin, who accused the CEO of taking sides in the conflict. In later posts on Twitter, Musk confirmed that some Starlink terminals near conflict areas in Ukraine were being jammed for several hours at a time. The CEO later confirmed that a software update to the Starlink terminals allowed the satellite system to bypass the jamming. Musk joked in a follow-up post that in a way, SpaceX’s experiences in Ukraine today are “free QA” for the company’s Starlink program. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Energy

Tesla Energy gains UK license to sell electricity to homes and businesses

The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.

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Credit: Tesla Energy/X

Tesla Energy has received a license to supply electricity in the United Kingdom, opening the door for the company to serve homes and businesses in the country.

The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.

According to Ofgem, the license took effect at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday and applies to Great Britain.

The approval allows Tesla’s energy business to sell electricity directly to customers in the region, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.

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Tesla has already expanded similar services in the United States. In Texas, the company offers electricity plans that allow Tesla owners to charge their vehicles at a lower cost while also feeding excess electricity back into the grid.

Tesla already has a sizable presence in the UK market. According to price comparison website U-switch, there are more than 250,000 Tesla electric vehicles in the country and thousands of Tesla home energy storage systems.

Ofgem also noted that Tesla Motors Ltd., a separate entity incorporated in England and Wales, received an electricity generation license in June 2020.

The new UK license arrives as Tesla continues expanding its global energy business.

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Last year, Tesla Energy retained the top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year. According to Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings, Tesla held about 15% of global market share in 2024.

The company also maintained a dominant position in North America, where it captured roughly 39% market share in the region.

At the same time, competition in the energy storage sector is increasing. Chinese companies such as Sungrow have been expanding their presence globally, particularly in Europe.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk shares big Tesla Optimus 3 production update

According to Musk, Tesla is in the final stages of completing Optimus 3, which he described as one of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that production of Optimus 3 could begin this summer. Musk shared the update in his interview at the Abundance Summit.

According to Musk, Tesla is in the final stages of completing Optimus 3, which he described as one of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots.

“We’re in the final stages of completion of Optimus 3, which is really going to be by far the most advanced robot in the world. Nothing’s even close. In fact, I haven’t even seen demos of robots that are as good as Optimus 3,” Musk said.

He also set expectations on the pace of Optimus 3’s production ramp, stating that the initial volumes of the humanoid robot will likely be very low. Musk did, however, also state that high production rates for Optimus 3 should be possible in 2027. 

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“I think we’ll start production on Optimus 3 this summer, but very slow at first, like sort of this classic S-curve ramp of manufacturing units versus time. And then, probably reach high volume production around summer next year,” he said.

Interestingly enough, the CEO hinted that Tesla is looking to iterate on the robot quickly, potentially releasing a new Optimus design every year.

“We’ll have Optimus 4 design complete next year. We’ll try to release a new robot design every year,” Musk stated.

Tesla has already outlined broader plans for scaling Optimus production beyond its first manufacturing line. Musk previously stated that Optimus 4 will be built at Gigafactory Texas at significantly higher production volumes.

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Initial production lines for the robot are expected to be located at Tesla’s Fremont Factory, where the company plans to establish a line capable of producing up to 1 million robots per year.

A larger production ramp is expected to occur at Gigafactory Texas, where Musk has previously suggested could eventually support production of up to 10 million robots per year.

“We’re going to launch on the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever, starting with building a one-million-unit production line in Fremont. And that’s Line one. And then a ten million unit per year production line here,” Musk said previously.

The comments suggest that while Optimus 3 will likely begin production at Fremont, Tesla’s larger-scale manufacturing push could arrive with Optimus 4 at Gigafactory Texas.

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Elon Musk

Tesla showcases Optimus humanoid robot at AWE 2026 in Shanghai

Tesla’s humanoid robot was presented as part of the company’s exhibit at the Shanghai electronics show.

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Credit: Tesla/YouTube

Tesla showcased its Optimus humanoid robot at the 2026 Appliance & Electronics World Expo (AWE 2026) in Shanghai. The event opened Thursday and featured several Tesla products, including the company’s humanoid robot and the Cybertruck.

The display was reported by CNEV Post, citing information from local media outlet Cailian and on-site staff at the exhibition.

Tesla’s humanoid robot was presented as part of the company’s exhibit at the Shanghai electronics show. On-site staff reportedly stated that mass production of the robot could begin by the end of 2026.

Tesla previously indicated that it plans to manufacture its humanoid robots at scale once production begins, with its initial production line in the Fremont Factory reaching up to 1 million units annually. An Optimus production line at Gigafactory Texas is expected to produce 10 million units per year. 

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Tesla China previously shared a teaser image on Weibo showing a pair of highly detailed robotic hands believed to belong to Optimus. The image suggests a design with finger proportions and structures that closely resemble those of a human hand.

Robotic hands are widely considered one of the most difficult engineering challenges in humanoid robotics. For a system like Optimus to perform complex real-world tasks, from factory work to household activities, the robot would require highly advanced dexterity.

Elon Musk has previously stated that Optimus has the capability to eventually become the first real-world example of a Von Neumann machine, a self-replicating system capable of building copies of itself, even on other planets. “Optimus will be the first Von Neumann machine, capable of building civilization by itself on any viable planet,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

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