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Марія БровінськаWar
24 September 2026, 08:41
2026-09-24
The Russians hit three data centers in Kyiv yesterday. Why it won't work to "shut down" the entire internet with strikes
The Russian attack on September 23 could have damaged three Kyiv data centers at once, where the equipment of Internet service providers was located. This caused problems with fixed communication for approximately 100,000 households in Kyiv and the region. At the same time, the telecom industry has built a backup infrastructure over the years of full-scale war, so it is impossible to completely disable the Ukrainian Internet with such attacks.
The Russian attack on September 23 could have damaged three Kyiv data centers at once, where the equipment of Internet service providers was located. This caused problems with fixed communication for approximately 100,000 households in Kyiv and the region. At the same time, the telecom industry has built a backup infrastructure over the years of full-scale war, so it is impossible to completely disable the Ukrainian Internet with such attacks.
According to the owner of the provider Utels, Alexander Polyudov, quoted by Forbes, three data centers were hit during the attack on September 23. He did not disclose their names for security reasons. In his assessment, it was one of the largest attacks on telecom infrastructure since July.
Separately, videos were distributed in Telegram channels, allegedly showing the consequences of the strike near the Parkovy Exhibition and Convention Center, where a large commercial data center operates. Forbes notes that the publication’s interlocutor, who was previously responsible for the state’s telecom sector, believes it is unlikely that the strike was directed specifically at this data center. Parkovy refused to comment on the situation due to security risks.
A former member of the government team who dealt with telecom issues believes that about 90% of the industry’s infrastructure is already prepared for such attacks. According to him, key nodes are duplicated and have backup channels.
Former board member of the Internet Association of Ukraine Oleksandr Glushchenko also believes that it will not be possible to completely disable the fixed Internet in Ukraine by striking individual data centers. The reason is the decentralized structure of the network. Ukraine has an extensive optical infrastructure, and providers created additional channels and backup sites during the war.
Experts say that one of the main ways to protect is to further decentralize the telecom infrastructure. This involves placing backup capacities in various data centers, in the western regions of Ukraine or abroad.
Another option is to physically protect critical nodes, in particular by creating underground data centers. Vodafone Ukraine is already working on such a project. The company stated that it views underground infrastructure as a long-term investment in the resilience of the digital economy and the continuity of critical services.
However, the construction of underground capacities can take years. A faster solution is to duplicate the most critical nodes and create infrastructure mirrors in other regions or outside Ukraine.
Separately, experts advise businesses to reserve not only communication channels, but also their own IT infrastructure and data. Vodafone Ukraine, in particular, recommends that business clients have backup solutions for telecom services, IT systems, and data storage.
