Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Starlink, recently drew attention to a little-known geographical fact that’s now captivating millions online.
In a post shared on his platform X (formerly Twitter), Musk reposted a video titled “The Distance Between the US and Russia is Less Than You Think – Diomede Islands,” showcasing how the two global powers are separated by just 2.4 miles.
“Not all Americans know that the US and Russia are much closer to each other: just two miles apart. And more than that, they are even connected sometimes,” the video explains.
The clip highlights the Diomede Islands, located in the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia. Little Diomede belongs to the United States, while Big Diomede is Russian territory. Despite their striking proximity, the islands sit on opposite sides of the International Date Line—making them nearly a day apart in time.
According to TASS, the Russian state news agency, the islands are named after Russian navigators Ivan Krusenstern and Makar Ratmanov, who led the country’s first circumnavigation from 1803 to 1806. The strait itself was first explored by Russian adventurer Semyon Dezhnev in 1648 and later named after Vitus Bering, who crossed it in 1728. Today, the Bering Strait forms part of the 30-mile-long border between Russia and the US, created after the 1867 sale of Alaska.
Since Musk shared the video, it has amassed over 77 million views, 400,000 likes, and more than 11,000 comments. The post has sparked conversations about geopolitical relationships and commonalities between the two nations.
“That’s wild. America and Russia are neighbours and should be natural allies,” one user commented.
Another added, “Very interesting; I never knew that. Thank you, Elon, for reposting.”