Ukraine’s drone strikes spur hasty Russian plans for underground data centers

Key Points:

• Russian tech companies are increasingly moving data centers underground and using camouflage tactics to protect AI supercomputers and cloud services after Ukrainian drone strikes caused significant damage and service disruptions.
• The Kremlin has mandated that data center operators reserve 10% of their capacity for emergency state use and authorized potential use of foreign data centers, marking a shift from Russia's previous strict control over internet sovereignty.
• Ukrainian drone attacks have successfully targeted major Russian data centers operated by companies such as Yandex, Sberbank, VKontakte, and the Ministry of Finance, causing widespread disruptions to digital services used by millions in Russia.
• In contrast, Ukraine's decentralized digital infrastructure, supported by US and European cloud services and SpaceX's Starlink satellite network, has shown greater resilience against Russian attacks.
• These developments highlight the vulnerabilities of Russia's centralized internet system and the strategic importance of resilient digital infrastructure amid ongoing conflict.