Russian technology firms seek to relocate data centers underground
Ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes on key digital infrastructure have prompted Russian companies to explore underground facilities to protect critical computing capacity.
Russian technology firms are working to harden infrastructure following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes that damaged facilities housing AI supercomputers and caused disruptions to cloud services. The attacks have impacted major entities including Yandex, Sberbank, and VKontakte, prompting a shift in how these companies approach physical security.
Rostelecom, the state-owned telecommunications company, is reportedly in discussions with mining giant Norilsk Nickel regarding the feasibility of relocating data centers underground. Regional officials have also proposed repurposing open-pit coal mines to hide and protect server infrastructure. These moves follow a directive from the Kremlin requiring data center operators to reserve computing capacity for emergency state use.
This trend underscores the vulnerability of digital assets in the ongoing conflict. As traditional data centers remain exposed to aerial strikes, the industry is looking toward extreme hardening methods to ensure the stability of the Russian internet and government digital services. The government has also authorized the potential use of foreign data centers should domestic capacity become further compromised.