Key facts
- Russian drone attacks on September 23 disrupted internet for approximately 100,000 households in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast.
- Russia's Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for striking two Kyiv data centers, New-Telco and United DC, alleging they handled internet traffic for Ukraine's Defense Ministry and provided communications and data-processing services for
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Russia targeted civilian infrastructure essential for accessing life-saving information and everyday life.
- Several internet providers, including UTELS, Pavutyna, Crazy Network, Etherlink, MiroHost, and CityHost, reported damage to their infrastructure in Kyiv.
- The recent escalation of attacks on data centers and communication nodes marks a shift in intensity, according to Anatolii Frolenkov of the 1-IX internet exchange point.
Russian drone attacks on September 23 disrupted internet services for approximately 100,000 households in Kyiv and its surrounding region, as specialists worked to assess damage and restore stable service, according to Ukraine's Digital Transformation Ministry. The attacks, which continued into September 24, targeted multiple data centers and internet providers, marking an escalation in Russia's targeting of Ukraine's internet infrastructure.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for striking two Kyiv data centers, New-Telco and United DC, alleging they handled internet traffic for Ukraine's Defense Ministry and provided communications and data-processing services for Ukrainian security agencies. These claims could not be independently verified. The ministry also claimed broader strikes targeting drone production facilities, military telecom centers, and vessels in Kyiv and Odesa.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected Moscow's characterization of the facilities, stating that Russia targeted critical civilian infrastructure essential for accessing life-saving information and maintaining everyday life, not military targets. He added that Russia is seeking to destabilize life in Ukraine and terrorize civilians as it is not achieving its goals on the battlefield.
Several providers reported direct damage to their infrastructure. UTELS reported damage to a Kyiv data center housing its core equipment, while Pavutyna said one of its data centers was hit. Crazy Network reported damage to a central internet traffic exchange in Kyiv, disrupting services in the capital and in Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi oblasts. Etherlink, a Kyiv-based provider, said an attack damaged its main network node. Hosting provider MiroHost stated the data center housing its infrastructure was destroyed, though most of its customers were unaffected. CityHost also reported destroyed equipment at a Kyiv data center.