Information
Ukrainian forces reclaimed 201 square kilometers (78 square miles) of territory from Russia between Wednesday and Sunday last week, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The gains were concentrated about 80 kilometers east of Zaporizhzhia, an area where Russian troops had made notable advances since the summer of 2025. The reclaimed territory nearly matches the amount of land Russian forces captured in December and represents Ukraine’s largest territorial recovery since its June 2023 counteroffensive.
The ISW reported that Ukraine’s counterattacks likely took advantage of a recent shutdown of Starlink access for Russian forces, which Russian military bloggers say has caused communication and command-and-control problems on the battlefield. On February 5, observers reported disruptions to Starlink antennas used by Moscow’s troops after Elon Musk announced measures to halt the Kremlin’s use of the satellite technology.
Source: ISW, Reuters
So What
The recent developments underscore the critical role that communications infrastructure plays on the modern battlefield, highlighting how heavily Russian forces had come to rely on Starlink for command and control. Ukraine’s ability to exploit that disruption and mount successful counterattacks demonstrates that Kyiv retains operational flexibility and offensive capacity, a factor that could influence the dynamics of ongoing peace negotiations by strengthening its bargaining position. However, while these gains are significant and represent a positive signal for Ukraine, they are unlikely to indicate that Russia is on the verge of capitulation or that Ukraine will be able to sustain counteroffensives at the same pace over the long term.
Follow us to join the intelligence community!