Ukraine freed 400 sq. km after Starlink shutdown to Russians, - Bloomberg
The Ukrainian counteroffensive led to the liberation of approximately 400 square kilometers after Russian forces lost access to thousands of Starlink terminals.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Bloomberg, citing a report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.
The disruption of Starlink has significantly weakened the capabilities of the Russian military
According to U.S. intelligence, this counteroffensive marked Ukraine’s first territorial gain since 2023. A report prepared for the U.S. Congress notes that Russia’s military capabilities were "temporarily but significantly weakened" after the Starlink terminals, which Russian troops were using illegally, were taken out of service.
According to an assessment by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and U.S. European Command, Russian military personnel used Starlink terminals, developed by SpaceX, to coordinate movements and direct drone strikes in areas with unreliable communication.
The document notes that in February, the Ukrainian side took steps to block thousands of such terminals, which significantly disrupted the communication system of the occupying forces.
Russian troops have also lost some of their communication channels due to restrictions on Telegram
Bloomberg also notes that Russian troops have faced additional communication challenges following the Kremlin’s decision to restrict the Telegram messaging app, which Russian soldiers had been actively using to communicate on the front lines.
At the same time, the DIA report notes that despite Ukraine’s successes, as of March, the Russian military still held an overall advantage over the Ukrainian Armed Forces in most combat functions.
