Fourteen Ukrainian data center operators hit in 12 days

Russian military strikes on Ukrainian data centers and telecom infrastructure disrupted services for at least fourteen operators over twelve days in September. The attacks, which Russia’s defense ministry described as targeting facilities processing military intelligence, left approximately 100,000 households in Kyiv and nearby areas without internet access. Ukrainian officials countered that the sites were civilian infrastructure critical for public communication and emergency information, not legitimate military targets.

What happened

Starting on September 15, a series of drone and missile strikes hit data centers and telecom facilities across Ukraine. The first confirmed incident involved BeMobile’s Kyiv data center, which also hosted services for UCloud. Subsequent attacks targeted De Novo, one of Ukraine’s largest commercial data centers, and retail providers like UTELS and Pavutyna. By September 23, strikes reached central traffic exchange hubs, cutting service for subscribers in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts. Moscow claimed responsibility for hits on New-Telco and United DC, alleging both served Ukraine’s defense and security agencies, though these claims could not be independently verified.

The most severe disruption occurred on September 23, when core equipment at multiple providers lost power. Etherlink relocated its network core, while CityHost.UA and MiroHost reported destroyed infrastructure. Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, saw its head office struck on September 27, though no casualties were reported. Vodafone Ukraine’s data center was also hit, though the company did not respond to requests for comment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a Kyiv data center was struck twice that morning, injuring two children and one adult.

Impact on operators and users

The strikes caused temporary outages rather than a full internet blackout. Anatolii Frolenkov of the 1-IX internet exchange point noted that a nationwide shutdown would require destroying 70-80% of Kyiv’s infrastructure, a scale Russia has not achieved. However, the attacks exposed vulnerabilities in redundancy planning. Operators with backup sites, such as Datagroup and Cosmonova, restored services quickly, while others faced prolonged disruptions. MiroHost’s founder, Oleksandr Olshanskyi, stated that 95% of his customers operate outside Ukraine and were unaffected, though his own data center was destroyed.

The financial burden of redundancy remains a challenge. Frolenkov highlighted that duplicating equipment, maintaining backup routes, and spreading infrastructure across multiple locations—including outside Ukraine—is costly. Some providers, like UTELS, suggested that stable internet service at pre-war prices (300-350 hryvnias per month) may no longer be sustainable. Olshanskyi dismissed claims of imminent price hikes, arguing that rumors of sharp increases were unfounded.

Government and industry response

Ukrainian leadership acknowledged the risks to critical infrastructure. After a September 25 meeting, President Zelensky announced unspecified measures to protect data centers and communications facilities, though no details on funding or implementation were provided. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi stated that all infrastructure remains at risk until the war ends, emphasizing the need to plan for worst-case scenarios.

In parallel, Kyivstar and MeetKai announced plans to build a sovereign AI data center in Ukraine, targeting first capacity in 2027. The facility, designed to scale from 15 MW to 100 MW on NVIDIA infrastructure, aims to serve government agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and businesses. No financing details or GPU counts were disclosed, and the project’s timeline remains aspirational.

What to watch

Analysts expect Russia to continue targeting data centers and telecom infrastructure, particularly in western Ukraine. The Institute for the Study of War assessed that while strikes can cause temporary disruptions, they are unlikely to achieve a complete shutdown. Operators are likely to accelerate investments in redundancy, though cost pressures may limit smaller providers. The success of Kyivstar and MeetKai’s AI data center project could set a precedent for sovereign cloud infrastructure in conflict zones, but its viability depends on sustained funding and security guarantees.