Why Ukrainian strikes on data centers are a real problem for Russia — and beyond

Ukraine’s recent strikes on data centers within Russia aimed at disrupting military planning and communication services. However, another unintended consequence emerged, affecting customers who relied on Yandex’s cloud infrastructure for their daily needs. This included e-commerce, digital payment platforms, food delivery apps, and car services. The strikes caused significant delays and interruptions for thousands of businesses and households, highlighting the critical role data centers play in modern society.

Despite the attacks on the Russian data centers, Ukrainian officials pointed out that Moscow had a history of targeting its digital infrastructure. "Ukrainians wanted to show Russians that two can play this game," a senior official stated, emphasizing the need to level the playing field in the ongoing conflict.

The attacks on data centers signify a new front in the war, akin to striking a power plant, which both militaries and civilians depend on for their daily lives. Experts warn that replacing destroyed equipment in Russia will be challenging due to the scarcity of required materials, many of which must be imported. The cost of rebuilding will be particularly high, as noted by cyber policy and international security researcher Oleg Shakirov.

While the attacks on data centers are a new development in war, they have occurred in other conflicts as well. During the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, drone strikes hit Amazon Web Services (AWS) facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The legal status of targeting data centers is complex, as they can serve both civilian and military purposes.

According to international humanitarian law, a data center must meet two conditions to be considered a military objective: it must make an effective contribution to military operations and its destruction must offer a definite military advantage.

Following the recent strikes on Yandex data centers, social media users reported a drop in automated bot activity, including from pro-Russian, pro-Trump, and far-right narratives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used this to claim that the strikes had made social media less toxic. However, independent researchers found no evidence of disruption to Russian disinformation campaigns.

Cyber policy expert Kubo Mačák clarified that even if a data center is used for propaganda, it does not automatically qualify as a lawful military target.

As data centers become increasingly crucial to national economies, they will pose an even greater risk as potential targets. NATO officials acknowledge this vulnerability and are factoring it into their planning. They recognize that data centers could come under attack in a conflict, stating, "We would get it in a fight." The growing centrality of data centers in modern life means they will become a more consequential target in future conflicts.