Ukraine has recaptured 201 km² of territory from Russia in five days, the fastest territorial gain in the last two and a half years, taking advantage of the blockage of Russian access to Starlink.

Last week, Ukraine managed to recover 201 square kilometers of territory from Russia, between February 1-5, marking the fastest territorial gain in the last two and a half years, according to an AFP analysis based on data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). This recapture is equivalent to the Russian gains throughout the month of December and represents the largest area reclaimed by Ukrainian forces since the beginning of the counteroffensive in June 2023. ISW suggests that Ukraine's success is due to the recent blockage of Russian forces' access to Starlink technology, which has affected communications and coordination on the battlefield. Military observers reported that the Starlink antennas used by Russia were disrupted, which limited the advance of Russian forces. The reclaimed territory is mainly located east of Zaporizhzhia, an area where Russia had made significant progress. Currently, Moscow controls 19.5% of Ukrainian territory, and US-mediated peace talks will address the territorial issue in the coming days.