Key facts
- Strikes on Yandex data centers caused delays for e-commerce, digital payment, food delivery, and car services.
- Rebuilding data centers in Russia will be costly due to import difficulties and sanctions.
- Experts question the legality of targeting data centers under International Humanitarian Law.
Ukraine has escalated its attacks by targeting Russian data centers, aiming to disrupt military planning and communication services. These strikes have also impacted civilian services, including e-commerce and food delivery apps that rely on Yandex's cloud infrastructure. While a Sberbank data center was also targeted, the company reported no operational impact.
Kyiv stated these actions are a response to Russia's repeated targeting of its digital infrastructure. Experts note that rebuilding the damaged data centers will be challenging due to sanctions and the need for imported hardware. The legality of targeting data centers, which serve both civilian and military purposes, is being debated under international humanitarian law.
Some reports suggested a reduction in pro-Russian social media bot activity following the strikes, though independent researchers have found no evidence of disruption to specific disinformation campaigns. The increasing reliance on digital services globally means data centers are becoming more consequential targets, with NATO acknowledging their potential vulnerability in future conflicts.