Inside Ukrainian offensive pushing Russia back - with Starlink playing a key role

Key Points:

• Ukraine's Operation Vivaldi has liberated 277 sq km in the eastern Donbas region over three months, successfully halting a Russian pincer movement aimed at encircling key cities.
• Ukrainian forces report inflicting heavy Russian casualties—8,000 in Vivaldi alone and nearly 50,000 along the front in September—while sustaining relatively few losses themselves.
• The modern battlefield features extensive use of drones, unmanned ground vehicles, and digital connectivity, including reliance on Elon Musk's Starshield satellite network, which recently faced unexplained restrictions impacting Ukraine's capabilities.
• Despite Ukraine's advances, Russian drones remain a persistent threat, with Ukrainian units employing counter-drone tactics to protect exposed soldiers during operations.
• The operation has freed 16 settlements but left many areas devastated and unsafe for civilians, while strained US-Ukraine relations and potential limitations on American technology pose challenges for future Ukrainian military efforts.