Ukrainian forces have recaptured 201 square kilometres of territory from Russian troops between 11 and 15 February, marking their fastest advance in over two and a half years. According to AFP, which analysed data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and reported by France24, this gain nearly matches the total territory Russia seized throughout December 2025. The recent progress represents Ukraine’s most significant territorial achievement over such a short period since the counteroffensive launched in June 2023.

The ISW analysis suggested that the advances may have been facilitated by disruptions in Russian communications caused by the recent blocking of Starlink access. Russian milbloggers had reported that interruptions in Starlink were creating command and control difficulties, affecting their battlefield coordination.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive has been concentrated roughly 80 kilometres east of Zaporizhzhia, where Russian troops had been making gains since the summer of 2025. Ukrainian forces have also regained ground on the Kharkiv, Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka fronts, pushing back Russian positions along multiple axes.

Earlier, Russian Shahed drones had relied on Starlink satellite communications to bypass Ukrainian electronic warfare systems, enabling more precise strikes within Ukraine. In response, on 2 February, Ukraine, working with SpaceX, introduced a Starlink terminal verification system to limit Russian access. By 5 February, observers reported widespread disruption of Starlink communications used by Russian forces along the front line.

On 10 February, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War revealed that Russian troops were coercing families of Ukrainian POWs to register Starlink terminals in their names. Two days later, on 12 February, the 256th Cyber Assault Division, alongside InformNapalm and MILITAN, compiled data on 2,420 Russian Starlink terminals, including the precise locations of Russian units, in an effort to block their satellite communications and degrade operational effectiveness.