Ukrainian strikes hit Russian data centers

Ukrainian drone strikes have hit three of Russian tech giant Yandex's largest data centers in recent days, causing widespread disruption to the country's digital services. Russia's prior attacks on Ukrainian data centers and telecommunication infrastructure appear to have triggered an unexpected retaliation.

Russian commentators have expressed concern over the vulnerability of the nation's centralized digital economy and warned of potential collapse. They note that Russia initiated this "data center war" without preparing for its consequences. In contrast to Russia's system, Ukraine's more decentralized digital services are deemed more resilient against continued attacks.

Russia began a campaign of drone strikes targeting Ukrainian data centers and mobile networks in late September. These attacks temporarily disrupted internet and mobile phone service for up to 100,000 households in Kyiv. The strikes were part of a broader campaign that has also involved missiles and jet-powered drones against Ukraine's power grid, transportation hubs, and residential buildings.