Ukrainian forces have achieved their largest territorial gains in more than two years, retaking roughly 150 square miles in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions following Russia's loss of access to Starlink satellite internet. The advances, which marked February 2026 as the first month since 2023 in which Kyiv regained more ground than it lost, exploited disruptions in Russian drone operations and command communications.

SpaceX implemented restrictions on unauthorized Starlink terminals at the start of February, using a whitelist system that allowed verified Ukrainian devices while blocking those operated by Russian forces. Russian troops had acquired the terminals through middlemen from third countries, as the service was not officially available in Russia. The cutoff forced commanders to revert to older radio systems, eliminating live video feeds from reconnaissance drones and real-time coordination.

Ukrainian soldiers reported immediate effects on the battlefield. "Without Starlink, they were basically pushed back to Cold War-era communications," said a soldier with the call sign Konosh from the Timur Special Forces Unit. Oleksiy Serdiuk, commander of the Brotherhood unit, noted that previously, Russians would overwhelm detected Ukrainian groups with everything available, but the response gap had become critical. An officer with the call sign Sever from Ukraine's Russian Volunteer Corps added that Russian infantry units lost tight control, leaving soldiers isolated without external instructions.

The Starlink blackout also hampered Russian ground drones and infantry coordination, with troops repeatedly rebooting devices and exposing their positions. Ukraine intercepted unencrypted radio traffic, gaining advance knowledge of Russian movements and using it for deception tactics. Analysts estimated Russian coordination recovered to only about 60% of prior levels. A senior NATO official confirmed advances in Zaporizhzhia linked to the Starlink loss.

The Institute for the Study of War documented Ukrainian counterattacks along the Dnipropetrovsk-Zaporizhzhia border, noting ongoing Starlink disruptions to Russian drone operations. Gains included open fields and small villages, pushing Russians back from Zaporizhzhia city's outskirts and reducing artillery threats there.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated the southern operation began a month before the Starlink cutoff but acknowledged the timing provided an advantage. Russia, holding a three-to-one troop advantage, has adapted with mesh networks, modems, cables, and alternative satellites, though experts like Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment described Starlink as a uniquely cheap and effective tool.

These developments represent a tactical shift amid frontline stagnation, highlighting the pivotal role of satellite communications in the conflict now entering its fourth year.