President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of expanding its military campaign to deliberately target Ukraine’s digital infrastructure, including data centers and internet service providers. The president stated that the strategy aims to maximize disruption to the daily lives of Ukrainian citizens, hindering their ability to work, study, and stay connected.
The warning followed a Russian drone attack on Friday that struck the Inkom business center in Kyiv, destroying a data center operated by Datagroup. The strike killed four people and damaged surrounding structures. In a separate incident related to the same attack, an Israeli foreign ministry official confirmed that a 14-year-old Israeli citizen was among the fatalities.
Russia’s defense ministry acknowledged targeting the facility, claiming it was utilized by Ukrainian military intelligence. However, BBC-verified footage showed the extent of the damage to the commercial building. Datagroup reported that while specialists are assessing the impact, all services remain operational via backup sites.
The attacks have caused significant connectivity issues across the region. Approximately 100,000 households in Kyiv experienced internet outages on Wednesday. In Lutsk, northwestern Ukraine, electronic information boards at public transport stops were rendered non-functional due to the damage inflicted on Kyiv’s data centers.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the targeting of these facilities as an attempt to cut off “life-saving information.” He emphasized that rapid alerts regarding missile and drone threats are critical for civilian safety, arguing that such infrastructure is essential for everyday functioning and cannot be classified as legitimate military targets.
Despite the disruptions, Serhii Beskrestnov, a top adviser on defense technologies, reassured the public that Ukraine’s highly decentralized internet network would not be entirely disabled, though he acknowledged potential local service interruptions and rising costs to cover repairs.
This escalation coincides with intensified Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy and railway sectors as winter approaches. Moscow has also targeted other telecommunications and data processing centers, including New-Telco, United DC, Kyivstar, and Parkovyi.
In a related development, Polish prosecutors launched an investigation into an arson attack on a Starlink satellite station in Wola Krobowska. Authorities stated there is reasonable suspicion that the perpetrators acted under the orders of Russian special services. The station facilitates internet traffic to Ukraine via SpaceX systems.
European NATO members have recently raised alarms about potential hybrid attacks by Russia designed to test allied commitment. Earlier this month, Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport, while France has initiated plans to strengthen protections for its critical infrastructure and defense industry sites.
Winter is coming, and they are hitting energy and internet simultaneously. That is a very calculated strategy to cripple daily life.
Russia claiming a commercial data center is a military intelligence hub is a classic move. Why are civilians always paying the price?
This feels like a clear escalation beyond just military targets. Is Europe doing enough to protect its own critical infrastructure?
I thought Ukraine’s internet was highly decentralized? How can cutting one data center knock out public transport boards?
The mention of the Israeli teenager in that Kyiv strike is heartbreaking. This war’s reach is truly global now.