The wave of non-stop Russian attacks against Ukraine continues. This time the enemy targets data centres and network infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Ukrainians’ access to information, including alerts about ongoing missile and drone attacks.
In this edition:
Russia Targets Data Centers and Network Facilities of Ukraine;
Autonomous Weapons: The Ukrainian Perspective;
Ukraine’s Defence-Industrial Partnerships and Their Limitations: KSE Report;
and 10+ additional developments in Ukraine and Russia.
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Russia Targets Data Centers and Network Facilities of Ukraine
Previously, the main risks to Ukrainian data centres were cyberattacks and power outages; now, Russian attackers are directly targeting the facilities, including buildings, servers, and communications links.
On September 23, Russian strikes on Ukraine’s digital infrastructure intensified. Russians focused on facilities in Kyiv and Odesa Oblast. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, around 100,000 households in Kyiv and the surrounding region experienced internet disruptions. The attacks continued the following day. On September 27, Russia hit the headquarters of Kyivstar, Ukraine's largest mobile service provider.
In Ukraine, data centres are conventional above-ground buildings that were never designed to withstand missile or drone strikes. Ukrainian experts said the strikes hit key data centres handling a significant share of Ukraine’s domestic internet traffic. Two major operators reportedly went offline for several hours because their network cores were located at the affected sites.
Despite the scale of the strikes on data centres, experts agree that Ukraine is unlikely to lose internet access entirely. One reason is the highly decentralized structure of the sector. Ukraine never had a heavily regulated internet market requiring expensive licences, which made entry relatively easy and allowed thousands of providers to operate. As a result, the country developed a highly distributed internet infrastructure.
Advisor to the President, Serhii FLASH Beskrestnov wrote that while local outages are possible, Ukraine’s highly distributed internet infrastructure makes a nationwide blackout unlikely. Providers are expected to restore damaged connections, although service costs could rise as companies absorb repair expenses.
Ukrainian digital technology expert Hlushchenko recommends that people in Ukraine use two SIM cards from different mobile operators if they move around frequently, and two fixed-line internet connections if reliable home access is critical. He advises prioritizing providers that use xPON technology and maintaining an independent backup power source. Starlink, he says, is a useful last line of connectivity, but it should not be seen as a universal replacement for terrestrial internet.
However, the campaign to disrupt access to information for Ukraine’s population extends beyond Ukraine. Last week, Polish authorities reported that a Starlink satellite station in central Poland serving Ukraine had been set on fire. The attack was “deliberately designed to disable the station”, disrupting internet access for a number of institutions, including the Ukrainian military.
Another Starlink ground station is located in Lithuania. However, Russian analyst Ruslan Leviev argues that even if both stations were completely destroyed, this would not necessarily disrupt Starlink service in Ukraine. SpaceX satellites can relay data between one another, allowing Ukrainian terminals to connect through ground stations located elsewhere.
Ukraine has pursued a similar logic in attacks on Russian space-related facilities in Moscow and Vladimir regions this summer, seeking to disrupt infrastructure linked to Russia’s Starlink analogue, Rassvet.
Autonomous Weapons: The Ukrainian Perspective
In early September, the 128 states parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons agreed on a non-binding document addressing autonomous weapons systems. The framework regulates or prohibits weapons considered to be indiscriminate or to cause excessive injury.