Ukraine Goes on the Offensive || Feb. 18, 2026
Starlink cut service to Russian forces along the front line, leaving these troops largely isolated. Ukraine has taken advantage of the situation by launching localized offensives and reclaiming a nice chunk of land.
The Ukrainians remain outnumbered. However, since Russian units are scattered, isolated, and unable to communicate, they are left vulnerable. So, organized Ukrainian offensives are finding success…for now.
The Russians will likely adapt, or the Ukrainians will come face-to-face with entrenched units and minefields, but Ukraine has regained the offensive momentum for the time being.
Comments (28)
Imagine defending the richest man in the world against a guy you pay to listen to rant about topics 🤣
Imagine an ad: Richest guy on earth looking for extra coins for ketamine. Will sell satellite services to anyone. No moral questions asked. Hurry while supply lasts.
Heaps of Elon fan boys in here
Not really. I see more fake information about Musk here than Bluesky.
Accusing Elon and his company of second-degree murder on mass is wildly inappropriate to say to your audience unless you have evidence that you can share with us. I’m pretty sure if Elon hears this a lawsuit is coming your way.
Oh my..., Elon is an innocent victim, just like Trump. This was a major trigger for the Musk Fan Club.
The exercise, known as Hedgehog 2025, involved more than 16,000 troops from 12 NATO countries who drilled alongside Ukrainian drone experts, including soldiers borrowed from the front line. It simulated a “contested and congested” battlefield with various kinds of drones. A single team of some 10 Ukrainians, acting as the adversary, counterattacked the NATO forces. In about half a day they mock-destroyed 17 armored vehicles and conducted 30 “strikes” on other targets. The NATO battle group was “just walking around, not using any kind of disguise, parking tents and armored vehicles,” recalls one participant, who played an enemy role. “It was all destroyed.” https://www.wsj.com/opinion/nato-has-seen-the-future-and-is-unprepared-887eaf0f
Sanctions Trump. What happened with that threat 6 months ago?
Two more weeks, for the last four months.
The UAF is advancing far enough to take over the grey zone. This gives them a tactical advantage. They will then add to their 2000 km defensive barrier (multiple tank traps, dragons teeth, barb wire and mines). They know they can't punch thru but they will set up killing zones. The stated goal is to kill at least 50,000 ruzzians a month. Meanwhile Flamingos are flying and taking out ruzzian drone factories and power plants. Darkness is coming.
Yes I am serious in the context of public to this forum - not to overall media. But yes Peter throws poorly based comments and verbal shade and mis info on EV's in general and specifically Musk related businesses but this is just wrong here what he says. I know he has lots of interesting takes but not all are good - and as an engineer have heard some wildly bad info from time to time from him that I know about professionally.
Seems you got triggered. This is his forum, not yours. Perhaps you want to smack him on the knuckles for upsetting your feelings.
Peter - that statement that SpaceX-Starlink knowingly working with the Russians to kill Ukrainians is BS, they do not. They sell a product and once it was brought to their attention that Russia was using it for nefarious purposes clearly against usage policies, SpaceX worked to develop the whitelist program and associated terminal-ID related zonal blocking tools with Ukraine to resolve the issue. These things do take some time to set up, and then get a good whitelist assembled by the proper Ukrainian authorities. THROWING SHADE AT SpaceX WHICH HAS DONE SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND Ukraine is just wrong - Seriously you should make a public apology to SpaceX for this comment.
Public apology? Can you be any more ridiculous?
The Russians' loss of Starlink alone will not win the war for Ukraine. However, it is a setback for the Russians on the line of contact and affects their ability to target drones effectively. If Starlink had been disabled before winter, Ukraine's energy infrastructure would have fared better, potentially saving more civilian lives. The Biden administration provided barely enough support for Ukraine to defend itself. Although this administration has not sent weapons directly to Ukraine, it has allowed U.S. weapons to be made available through third parties. It has very gradually increased sanctions against the Russian oil industry, negatively affecting Russia's economy. I'm not into conspiracy theories; I leave that to idiots like Tucker Carlson, but it seems to me that the powers that be do not want this war to end until Russia is incapable of threatening anyone ever again.
I wanted to grab Biden around the neck during the first years of the war. We have mothballed so much weaponry far beyond Russian capability that should have been in the theater ASAP. Yes, it takes time to learn its operation like the jets, but there was no excuse for the delay. You are correct about extending the war. It financially gives way to more arms sales. Conflicts are moneymakers.
The fact that Elon was willing to make money by selling Starlink to the Russians I think speaks to how loyal he truly is to the United States… now some of you might say well he’s a busy guy. Maybe he just wasn’t aware of what his company was doing and if that’s the case, he definitely should not be a decision-maker for a military contractor
Elon is willing to make money, PERIOD. At anyone's expense, lest you forget the multiple "seig heils" at Orange Bozo's little rally/party! Ketamine or no, that "shiite" was , to use an a-pro-po expression "heartfelt!"
Looks like the motis tactic used by Finnland.
Land drones to cross minefields
I see a lot evidence of a nuzzling Biscuit on your right shoulder PZ
What happened to the North Koreans fighting in Ukraine? Did they all go home?
In a box
Great news, good for Ukraine 🇺🇦 I hope that Europe gets into the shadow oil tankers ASAP. The quicker the Russian economy implodes, the more lives can be saved.
Note: PZ hates Elon Musk & is genetically engineered not to say anything nice about Starlink even when they shipped massive numbers of free terminals to Ukraine (early in the war when Russia destroyed the Ukraine communications network) and recently managed to cut off Russian access to terminals IN Ukraine.
Yes, Starling has been hugely import for Ukraine. When talking about if Musks company has helped Russia, it’s it important to not forget how much help it has given Ukraine.
Tactically is not really significant. But diplomatically and politically its a big win for Ukraine on the negotiating table: They have something meaningful to clap back when Kremlin and Washington pushes the "you are losing....cut a deal..." pushes.
They've taken huge amounts of ground in the week that Russians lost Starlink... How is that not tactically significant?