President Volodymyr Zelensky said territorial gains by Ukraine’s Defense Forces in the south were not directly linked to Russia’s recent loss of access to Starlink terminals.
In an interview with Tagesschau published on Monday, Feb. 23, Zelensky rejected suggestions that the liberation of approximately 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) in southern Ukraine was triggered by the Feb. 4 shutdown of grey- and black-market Starlink terminals used by Russian forces.
“Let’s look at this step by step. The decision regarding Starlink is certainly positive and will be useful. But at the same time, I want to thank our military – the operation in the south, where territory was liberated, began a month before the decision regarding Starlink,” Zelensky said.
He added that the two developments are not directly connected, though both are positive for Ukraine.
Tactical counterattacks after Russian disruptions
The remarks come as Ukrainian forces conduct localized counterattacks along the border of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to assessments by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts describe the operations as tactical rather than strategic, aimed at restoring frontline cohesion and exploiting weakened Russian command-and-control systems following communication disruptions.
On Feb. 4, SpaceX disabled grey- and black-market Starlink terminals operating in Russia and Russian-occupied areas after a request from Ukraine. The move did not affect Ukrainian forces, which use officially supplied terminals.
For Russian units, however, hundreds of terminals reportedly stopped functioning, disrupting drone operations and battlefield coordination.
ISW reported that Russian infantry assaults dropped by an estimated 20-30% after the Starlink shutdown and that Telegram slowdowns were observed. Daily clashes averaged 130-160 in the past week, down from 180-200 previously, according to data from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Ukrainian military officials have emphasized that current operations in the south do not constitute a large-scale counteroffensive but rather localized maneuvering designed to capitalize on Russian vulnerabilities.