Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of expanding its military campaign to systematically target Ukraine’s digital infrastructure, including data centres and internet providers, in a bid to disrupt daily life.
Speaking following a series of strikes across the country, Zelensky warned that Moscow was attempting to sever critical communications used by citizens for remote work, education, and air raid alerts.
The statement followed a Russian drone attack on Friday that struck the Inkom business centre in central Kyiv, killing four people and damaging a data facility operated by major telecommunications firm Datagroup.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that separate overnight attacks across the capital left seven people dead and 59 injured. Among the victims was a 14-year-old Israeli citizen killed in a residential strike in the Pecherskyi district.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed it had targeted the Datagroup site, claiming the facility was being utilised by Ukrainian military intelligence. Moscow added that it had also launched strikes against other major telecommunications and data processing hubs, including New-Telco, United DC, Kyivstar, and Parkovyi.
Key developments surrounding the targeted strikes include:
- Regional Disruptions: Approximately 100,000 households in the Kyiv region experienced internet blackouts earlier in the week, while electronic transport information boards in the north-western city of Lutsk failed on Friday due to server damage in the capital.
- Emergency Measures: President Zelensky met with top defence and security officials on Friday night to agree on “additional decisions” aimed at hardening critical communications infrastructure and ensuring continuous network operation.
- Network Resilience: Serhii Beskrestnov, a top Ukrainian defence technology adviser, acknowledged that while repair costs could temporarily raise internet prices and cause localized outages, Ukraine’s decentralized network architecture prevents a complete national blackout.
- Civilian vs Military Target: Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha insisted data centres constitute essential civilian infrastructure required to issue rapid missile alerts, while Datagroup confirmed its services remain operational via backup facilities abroad.
The escalation against digital networks coincides with intensified Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid and rail logistics ahead of winter, as the full-scale conflict continues into its fourth year.
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