Ukraine achieves fastest battlefield progress in 2.5 years, AFP reports
Illustrative photo: Ukrainian soldiers managed to advance on the front line (Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces managed to liberate over 200 square kilometers of territory from the Russian troops last week, marking their most successful breakthrough in 2.5 years, AFP reports.
According to the outlet, these gains are confirmed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Between February 11 and 15, Ukrainian troops recaptured 201 square kilometers from Russian forces.
AFP reports that Ukrainian soldiers took advantage of disruptions in Russian access to Starlink terminals.
Journalists noted that the area reclaimed is almost equivalent to all Russian gains in December. This is the largest stretch of land Ukrainian forces have retaken in such a short period since the counteroffensive began in June 2023.
"These Ukrainian counterattacks are likely leveraging the recent block on Russian forces' access to Starlink, which Russian milbloggers (military bloggers) have claimed is causing communications and command and control issues on the battlefield," the ISW states.
Blocking Starlink for Russian forces
On February 2, the Ukrainian government adopted a resolution to create a white list for Starlink terminals, requiring mandatory registration and authorization of devices for use in the country. This measure was aimed at preventing the Russian army from using the terminals.
Within a few days, it became clear that the measures caused major disruptions in the command and control systems of Russian forces.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, on many front-line sectors, the lack of communication forced the enemy to partially halt assault operations.
