Ukraine recaptured 201 sq km from Russia between Wednesday and Sunday last week, taking advantage of a Starlink shutdown for Russian forces, according to an Agence France-Presse analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). “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 thinktank. Kyiv claimed that Russian drones were using them in particular to circumvent electronic jamming systems and strike their targets with precision. Donald Trump said he hoped Ukraine reached a deal with Russia “fast” ahead of Tuesday’s trilateral talks in Geneva. Polish commanders said military aviation operations began in the country’s airspace due to strikes by Russia’s long-range air forces on Ukrainian territory.

Source: The Guardian February 17, 2026 12:20 UTC