Ukraine conflict briefing: Kyiv’s forces made quickest battlefield beneficial properties since 2023, evaluation finds | Ukraine

Ukraine recaptured 201 sq km from Russia between Wednesday and Sunday final week, benefiting from a Starlink shutdown for Russian forces, in keeping with an Agence France-Presse evaluation of knowledge from the Institute for the Examine of Warfare (ISW). The recaptured space (78 sq miles) is sort of equal to the Russian beneficial properties for all the month of December and is probably the most land retaken by Kyiv’s forces in such a brief interval since a June 2023 counteroffensive. The recaptured land is concentrated primarily to the east of town of Zaporizhzhia, in an space the place Russian troops have made important progress since mid-2025. “These Ukrainian counterattacks are possible leveraging the latest block on Russian forces’ entry to Starlink, which Russian milbloggers (army bloggers) have claimed is inflicting communications and command and management points on the battlefield,” mentioned the ISW thinktank.

On 5 February, army observers famous disruption of the Starlink antennas utilized by Moscow on the entrance traces, following bulletins by Elon Musk of “measures” to finish the Kremlin’s use of this know-how, the AFP report mentioned. Kyiv claimed that Russian drones have been utilizing them particularly to avoid digital jamming methods and strike their targets with precision.

Ukraine’s anti-corruption police accused an ex-energy minister on Monday of serving to launder kickbacks and stashing thousands and thousands offshore, a day after he was detained making an attempt to go away the nation in a case that has shaken Kyiv’s wartime authorities. The arrest of German Galushchenko was the primary main improvement for months within the “Midas” bribery case, which has loomed over Ukraine’s home politics since final yr by reaching into President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s internal circle. In unveiling the accusations towards Galushchenko, Ukraine’s anti-corruption company Nabu mentioned it was working with 15 overseas jurisdictions to increase its investigation. Galushchenko has denied any wrongdoing.

Donald Trump mentioned he hoped Ukraine reached a take care of Russia “quick” forward of Tuesday’s trilateral talks in Geneva. “Ukraine higher come to the desk quick,” the US president mentioned late on Monday. Senior Ukrainian and Russian officers are to satisfy for the second spherical of talks brokered by the Trump administration days earlier than the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The 2-day assembly in Switzerland beginning on Tuesday is predicted to reflect negotiations held earlier this month in Abu Dhabi, with representatives from Washington, Kyiv and Moscow in attendance, reported Luke Harding and Pjotr Sauer. Regardless of renewed US efforts to revive diplomacy, hopes for any sudden breakthrough stay low, with Russia persevering with to press maximalist calls for on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy mentioned Ukrainian intelligence confirmed extra Russian assaults on vitality targets lay forward and that such strikes made it tougher to succeed in an settlement on ending the conflict. “Intelligence studies present that Russia is making ready additional huge strikes towards vitality infrastructure so it’s needed to make sure that all air defence methods are correctly configured,” he mentioned in his nightly video handle on Monday. Zelenskyy additionally mentioned Russian assaults have been “always evolving” and resorting to a mixture of weapons, together with drones and missiles, requiring “particular defence and help from our companions”.

Civilian casualties in Ukraine brought on by bombing soared by 26% throughout 2025, reflecting elevated Russian focusing on of cities and infrastructure within the nation, in accordance a world battle monitoring group. Motion on Armed Violence (AOAV) mentioned 2,248 civilians have been reported killed and 12,493 injured by explosive violence in Ukraine in keeping with English-language studies – with the variety of casualties an incident rising considerably, studies Dan Sabbagh. A median of 4.8 civilians have been reported killed or injured in every strike, 33% greater than in 2024, with the worst assault going down in Dnipro on 24 June.