Ukraine's Drone Strikes Spur Hasty Russian Plans For Underground Data Centers

Ukraine's drone strikes on Russian data centers have prompted Russian officials to consider moving some servers underground, according to a report by Vedomosti. The idea was reportedly discussed between Rostelecom, the state-owned telecommunications company, and Norilsk, a nickel and palladium mining firm. Another proposal came from a Russian regional governor who suggested constructing data centers within open-pit coal mines, concealing them with green public parks.

President Vladimir Putin signed an order on November 2 mandating data center operators to reserve 10 percent of their capacity for government use if required. This could signal heightened Kremlin concerns about the susceptibility of Russian cloud computing infrastructure during its conflict with Ukraine. The decree also empowers a special Russian government commission to authorize foreign data centers' use, in consultation with the Federal Security Service.

This marks a significant shift in policy, as Russia's 2021 Sovereign Internet Law previously prohibited Russian businesses from using cloud computing services outside the country. The hyper-centralized Russian internet system, dominated by a few major tech companies like Yandex, has now been exposed as vulnerable during wartime.

Ukrainian drone attacks on key Russian data centers have led to significant disruptions for popular apps and services, including payment platforms, digital banking, e-commerce, video streaming, ride-sharing, and food delivery. Yandex itself had to relocate three of its main supercomputers from their original AI data centers after being targeted by Ukrainian drones.