The war between Russia and Ukraine has escalated to include attacks on data centers, which serve as critical infrastructure for web-connected services and AI systems. Russian forces struck a data center in Kyiv and other telecommunications sites, while Ukraine retaliated by damaging three major Yandex data centers and a Sberbank facility. These strikes mark a new phase in the five-year conflict, with President Zelensky stating Ukraine’s actions were a response to Russian operations against Ukrainian data infrastructure.
The targeting extends beyond Eastern Europe, as Iranian drones hit Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the UAE following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, disrupting regional computing services. Experts note that data centers have become high-value targets due to the AI-driven surge in demand for computing power. Ukraine has shifted much of its government and banking data to foreign facilities, reducing its vulnerability, while Russia’s reliance on domestic data centers—mandated by data localization laws—makes it more exposed.
Yandex, often called Russia’s Google, operates key services including ride-hailing, streaming, payments, and cloud computing for over 50,000 businesses. Recent Ukrainian strikes have disrupted Yandex apps, cloud services, and payment systems, with users unable to transfer money or access files. Sberbank customers also reported service interruptions.
Restoration efforts are ongoing, but the digital battlefield is now a permanent feature of modern warfare.
Source: New York Times Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing