Ukraine makes major territorial gain against Russia

AFP and Global Watch | 2026-02-20

Ukraine recaptured a net total of 63 square km (24 square miles) from Russia between Wednesday and Sunday last week, taking advantage of a Starlink shutdown for Russian forces, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Overall, Ukraine recaptured 91 square kilometers, including 86 square km in an area about 80 km (50 miles) east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, where Russian troops have made significant advances since the summer of 2025.

The Russian army meanwhile captured 28 square km in other sections of the front, resulting in a net territorial gain of 63 square km for Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces had not recaptured so much territory in such a short time since a counteroffensive in June 2023.

The Russian army advanced by 319 square km along the front in January.

Starlink lock exploited

"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," said the ISW, which collaborates with the Critical Threats Project, another US think-tank.

This disruption adds to broader pressures on Moscow's military operations, as a crack down continues on Russia's shadowy fleet of sanctioned tankers.

On February 5, military observers noted disruption of the Starlink antennas used by Moscow on the front lines, following announcements by Elon Musk of "measures" to end the Kremlin's use of the firm's satellite internet technology.

Kyiv claimed that Russian drones were using the antennas, in particular, to circumvent electronic jamming systems and strike their targets with precision.

Without the use of Starlink, Russian forces ceded significant ground on February 12 and 15, with Kyiv respectively recapturing around 30 and 60 square km on those two days.

Moscow controlled 19.5% of Ukrainian territory, either fully or partially, in mid-February, compared with 18.6% a year earlier.

Approximately seven percent -- Crimea and part of the Donbas -- was already under Russian control before the invasion launched in February 2022.

The recent territorial shifts occur against the backdrop of stalled Russia-Ukraine peace talks, where Putin is reportedly eyeing the removal of Zelenskyy -- not just as a personal vendetta, but as a strategic move to assert control over Ukraine's sovereignty and send a warning to neighboring countries.

Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict has prompted responses from neighbors, such as Poland's push for nuclear capabilities in response to Russian threats, which raises its own set of risks in global defense dynamics.

Internal challenges for Russia are also mounting, highlighted by a recent assassination attempt on Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseev in Moscow, exposing vulnerabilities in the protection of high-level military command.