Ukraine War · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Russia Widens Attacks On Ukraine Data Centres, Disrupting Kyiv Internet For 100,000 Households
Russia widened attacks to hit Ukraine's data centres and internet providers, disrupting 100,000 Kyiv-area households. Drone strike killed four people and damaged a Kyiv data centre.
Zelenskyy’s statements tie attacks to civilian life and connectivity.
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Kyiv Post
“‘American and other businesses, data centers, internet providers – all ordinary life is simply a target for Russia,’ Zelensky said.”Read the original ↗
UUnited24 Media
“Additional decisions were also adopted to protect and ensure the uninterrupted operation of our data-center infrastructure”Read the original ↗
One outlet foregrounds civilian targeting rhetoric, another foregrounds policy and resilience measures.
Kyiv internet hit
Russia widened attacks against Ukraine’s data centres and internet providers, with Kyiv and the surrounding region seeing internet connectivity issues for about 100,000 households after attacks on 23 September, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes targeted “American and other businesses, data centers, internet providers” and that “All this affects people's ability to stay connected, study, work,” as he described the impact on ordinary life. Zelensky said a Russian drone hit a business centre in Kyiv, killing four people and damaging a data centre, and Zelensky said a separate attack killed a 14-year-old boy.
Utels reported that one of the Kyiv data centres containing core network equipment was damaged and lost power during the attack, and the provider restored services to most customers within around two hours. Zelensky wrote on social media that “The Russians are constantly expanding their escalation operation,” naming “American and other businesses, data centres, internet providers” as targets for Russia.
Officials and providers
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia was seeking to disrupt the flow of “life-saving information” by targeting data centres, and he added that “Rapid alerts about missile and drone threats are essential - they save lives.” Serhii Beskrestnov told the BBC that Ukraine’s internet network was highly decentralised and that “will not be left without internet access,” while the BBC also said he admitted there “may be local disruptions” after the attacks. Datagroup said its specialists were assessing damage after Friday’s daytime attack, and the company said all services “continue to operate from backup sites,” according to the BBC.
Russia’s defence ministry confirmed it had hit the Datagroup site and said it was being used by the Ukrainian military’s intelligence, and the BBC said the Russian defence ministry also targeted New-Telco, United DC, Kyivstar and Parkovyi. NetBlocks reported partial connectivity losses across several providers, including Kyiv Link, Pautina, Utels and Crazy Network, and Crazy Network reported outages impacted customers in Kyiv as well as parts of Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi.
Wider strikes and response
Zelensky said Russia’s attacks also extended beyond communications, and he reported that a Russian drone struck an office building in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district, killing four people and injuring seven others including a child. Zelensky also said Russia struck a warehouse used by McDonald’s, and he wrote “An attack drone – against ordinary food products,” while he accused Russia of expanding its campaign against civilian infrastructure. Zelensky warned that Russia’s escalation operation targeted “American and other businesses, data centres, internet providers - for Russia, all ordinary life is simply a target,” and he called for the world to respond so Russia “feels the response to its terror.”
“The claims about the McDonald’s warehouse being targeted and the circumstances of the strikes ‘have not been independently verified.’”
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, said Russian forces attacked warehouse facilities in the Brovary district of the Kyiv region twice on September 25, with one strike occurring overnight and another during the day. The claims about the McDonald’s warehouse being targeted and the circumstances of the strikes “have not been independently verified,” while Russia confirmed it had targeted a data centre site it said was used by Ukrainian military intelligence.