Russian military strikes have targeted data centers and network infrastructure across Ukraine, with a drone attack on a facility in central Kyiv killing four people in the area, according to the BBC.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow wants to maximize disruption for ordinary Ukrainians. "All this affects people's ability to stay connected, study, work," he said. In a social media post, he added: "The Russians are constantly expanding their escalation operation: American and other businesses, data centers, internet providers — for Russia, all ordinary life is simply a target. It is important that the world responds to all of this and that Russia feels the response to its terror."
Russia confirmed it attacked the Datagroup site, claiming Ukrainian military intelligence used it. Moscow said it is also targeting data and telecommunications centers owned by New-Telco, United DC, Kyivstar, and Parkovyi.
The attacks have left about 100,000 households in Ukraine without internet connectivity, and some companies have begun migrating data across the border to avoid disruption. One government official said Ukraine's internet network is highly decentralized, though local disruptions are still expected.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the targeting of data centers would affect the flow of "life-saving information." "Rapid alerts about missile and drone threats are essential — they save lives. This is crucial civilian infrastructure… It is not a military target," he said. "It is essential to keeping everyday life functioning."
Data centers are increasingly considered strategic targets in conflict as modern society relies on online services. The strikes follow Iran's response to the U.S. bombing campaign in March, which included drone and missile attacks on AWS regional data centers in Dubai and Bahrain and direct threats to American tech companies, including OpenAI's Stargate data center in Abu Dhabi.