First Since 2023: Ukraine Recaptures Hundreds of Kilometers in Counteroffensive

American experts are recording the Ukrainian army's greatest success in the last two years. While Russian defences are crumbling due to a technological blockade, Kyiv is effectively seizing the moment to reclaim its territories in the east. Learn about the real scale of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' advance

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Ukraine has achieved its most significant territorial gains in recent years. According to American analysts, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to regain control of hundreds of square kilometres of land in a matter of days. The key reason for this breakthrough is said to be a technological ‘blackout’ for the Russian army.

According to a recent analysis by the independent Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Ukrainian army has demonstrated a pace of advancement that the front has not seen since the counteroffensive in June 2023. Between Wednesday and Sunday alone, the Ukrainian Defence Forces liberated 201 square kilometres of their own territory.

The Starlink factor: why Russia's defence faltered

Experts attribute this sudden success to Russia's loss of access to critical technologies. As noted in the report, Elon Musk and SpaceX have restricted the operation of the Starlink satellite system for the Russian military.

Since early February, Russian army units have been unable to use Starlink terminals. This has had a devastating impact on:

- communication between units;

- technical equipment management;

- the operation of strike drones.

The Kyiv Post specifies that Russian troops previously used Starlink to enable their drones to bypass Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) systems and deliver precision strikes. Now that they have lost this capability, Russian equipment has become vulnerable to Ukrainian jammers.

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The situation on the front line

The loss of communication had an immediate impact on the battlefield. According to ISW data, Russian troops managed to achieve minor successes on only one day last week — 9 February. On all other days, Kyiv had complete initiative.

The epicentre of the Ukrainian breakthrough was an area about 80 kilometres east of Zaporizhzhia. This is where the main efforts to de-occupy the territories are concentrated.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is an independent analytical centre in Washington, D.C., specialising in security and military conflicts. The institute is not funded by the US government, exists on donations, and is known for its detailed daily reports on the progress of the war in Ukraine. The organisation's board of directors includes former CIA director and retired general David Petraeus.

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